In Between Dreams
by mzdimeaner
Summary: Thorki AU - Thor and Loki's relationship as brothers is strained when feelings and dreams get factored in. *EXPLICIT*
1. Chapter 1

The warriors had returned to Asgard from a long training exercise, this one had lasted twelve entire weeks. The weather had been brutal and the men were weary. Odin had gone with them this time, he missed being a young warrior and going out to train with the rest, battling his friends in mock war. Now he was king, a husband, a father of two sons. His beard had long since turned gray, he was battle scarred, and his sons were on the cusp of manhood. Odin was a bear of a man, even in his old age, he never lost any of the authority in his voice, he was well respected among the warriors and the people of Asgard.

Odin led the men into the great hall with anticipation of seeing his family, his one blue eye shining, the other covered with a golden eye patch. His wife Frigga's wavy blonde hair streamed behind her as she ran to greet Odin with tears in her shining blue eyes and a passionate kiss waiting for him on her lips. Through the welcoming crowd he saw his sons and he could not wait to embrace them as well.

Thor was his oldest son, almost eighteen-years-old. He was the spitting image of Odin when he had taken the throne of Asgard. Blonde and blue-eyed, tan, taller and stronger than any of the other warriors in training. He was said to be the most handsome son of Odin. His hands were rough and callused from his training. He was first in line to the throne, a bit arrogant, and headstrong, but with training he would make a fine king. Thor often said things rather bluntly, he never held back what he was thinking. He wore Odin's royal colors of red and gold, a sign that he was second in line to the king. His armor shone his status, even though he had not yet finished his training.

Loki was quite the contrary to his brother with green eyes and black hair. He had a softer, less masculine appearance than his brother and wasn't the warrior type; he was tall, thin, and fair. His hands were delicate, as were his features. He had skills in magic surpassing many in the nine realms, even at the young age of sixteen. He was quiet where his brother was boisterous and loud. He was thoughtful when he spoke, a word-smith with a silver tongue. He was particular about the words he used, and he used them sparingly. He was not the first heir of Asgard, he did not wear the royal colors, but emerald green and gold, his garments were more suited to a sorcerer than the armor of a warrior.

"Thor! Loki!" Odin exclaimed as he made his way through the crowd and dragged his sons to him. "Just wait, Thor! I want you to join the first training exercise after your birthday. I think you are ready, I am so proud of you my son."

Thor could barely contain his excitement. "I cannot wait father! I have been aching to go for the longest time!"

Odin turned to Loki to embrace his youngest son. He very much loved Loki, he was proud of both of his sons for very different reasons.

"Loki, you have grown another inch! How have your lessons been going?"

Before Loki could answer, the feast had been laid out and the great hall quieted to hear Odin speak a few words about returning to Asgard.

Odin stood at the head of the great hall to speak, "Friends, family, we have missed you all! It is great to see our warriors training first hand, and to ensure that this generation will be able to protect Asgard. I fail to have the words to describe the pride I have for these men, and woman…" He nodded at Lady Sif, "… Who are the backbone of our army. They have worked up quite an appetite these past twelve weeks. I am sure they haven't seen such delicacies since we left, I know I haven't! Enjoy yourselves!"

Odin raised his goblet and yelled, "To Asgard!"

"To Asgard!" The hall resounded back to him, and they all drank to their dear land.

Loki's frown was masked by the farce of a smile that he had perfected over the years. Thor had always come first in Odin's world, and something always interrupted Odin when he was talking to Loki, he felt that he must just grin and bear it. Someday he would tell his father how he felt, today would not be that day.

Forks and knives scraped plates, and there was laughter and conversation in the air. Thor looked over at his brother sitting alone at the other end of the table, he was trying to hide a scowl that lingered on his face and was picking at his plate. Something in Thor's heart stirred like a bear waking from a long winter's nap. He had never noticed how green Loki's eyes were or how graceful he was when he moved. His eyes only strayed when Loki's eyes met his for a brief second.

Thor looked away to pretend to listen to a lively conversation near him and when he looked up again, Loki was gone. Thor stood and made his way out of the great hall. He caught a glimpse of green and gold rounding a corner and he ran until Loki was within sight.

"Loki!" echoed down the stone hallway.

The younger brother halted but did not turn around. Thor closed the gap in few strides and his hand was on Loki's wrist, turning him around to look at his face.

"Brother, what is wrong?" Thor quietly questioned.

"Nothing, Thor. I just want to be alone." his voice was masking something deeper as he felt Thor's grip lessen on is wrist, but still remain.

"You would tell me if there was something on your mind?" he could feel Loki's pulse.

"Yes, of course." there was a twinge in his voice that Thor couldn't figure out.

Thor pulled the younger boy to his chest in an embrace and Loki melted into the cool armor covering his brother's chest.

Thor suddenly had feelings he had never had before, feeling his brother give in to his embrace. He had the overwhelming urge to show Loki how much he was loved.

Loki's eyes opened when Thor planted his lips on Loki's forehead and then his cheek briefly. He looked up into his brother's eyes, the hurt starting to show on his face, his brow slightly furrowed, his lower lip trembled in the tiniest way.

Suddenly Loki's back was against the wall and Thor's lips were on his in a deeper kiss, the passion was almost painful. It lasted until Loki pushed Thor away a few seconds later, overwhelmed. His lips had never been touched by another's in his sixteen years. The feeling was not awful, but unexpected.

Thor stared at Loki for a few seconds, the hurt in his face now replaced with confusion. Thor was confused as well and he turned on his heel and briskly walked away.

Loki stood there, the hotness where Thor's lips had been now cooling as swiftly as the kiss had ended, He could still taste and feel Thor, his scent lingering on him. He felt alone now, desperately alone.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Thor made his way to his chambers, his conscience weighing him down with each stride. He closed the door and tore the armor from his chest, the gauntlets on his wrists clanged loudly on the stone floor where they joined his breast plate. His boots were wrenched from his feet and tossed in the same direction as the rest. His bed welcomed him and he took refuge in it's warmth.

"What have I done?" he whispered to the empty room.

He laid in silence for what seemed like days, his heart was betraying him, his mind was still on his brother's eyes, his lips...when all he wanted to do was pretend it had never happened.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Thor didn't get up.

Loki came into the room cautiously, looking to see where Thor's voice had come from. He saw the pile of blankets and furs on the bed move as Thor looked up to see who had come in.

"I came to thank you for making sure I was alright, I wasn't." he said in the direction of the bed.

There was no response from the blankets. Loki came closer.

"I have felt as of late, that even if I was the best sorcerer in all of the nine realms, that it would still not be enough for father to notice. Maybe if I was a great warrior like you..."

"He notices," Thor answered, "he is not always great with words or expressing love, but he does love you."

"Love..." Loki spat as if it was foul on his tongue.

Thor got up from the bed to face his brother again. Loki's eyes shone brighter than he had seen in a long time.

"You are loved, brother." Thor stepped toward Loki but Loki stepped back remembering earlier in the hall.

"YOU are loved, Thor. YOU are the chosen one to succeed father, he always said only one of us would be king of Asgard, but both of us were born to be kings. I do not grasp what he meant by that. How could we have both been born to be kings if only one of us could be king?" Loki's brow furrowed again.

"I do not know what he meant by that. But I do know that I could never be king without you by my side. I would not choose a life without you. You know that." Thor's voice was strained, he could not imagine life without his brother.

"So that I could remain in your shadow?" Loki was almost yelling now.

"You know I did not mean it that way!" Thor winced.

"I have always come second. Second to you, the throne, to father...I have and always will live under your pedestal." Loki's voice went hoarse as he was almost on the verge of tears.

"You have always been first to me."

Thor took the two steps and pulled Loki into his arms, his brother submitted to his embrace, the tears now spilling down his fair cheeks. He thought of their childhood, He had never let Loki win any games even though he was younger, he had chosen his friends over Loki too many times to count, he was left at home when Thor had gone to training, he had been left out. he had just lied to his brother. Thor hadn't realized until now the hurt he had caused Loki, his heart broke at the thought that he was the reason for his tears and anger.

"I am sorry." He whispered into Loki's hair.

"What?" Loki tried to compose himself as he looked up at Thor.

"I am sorry for not putting you first." Thor averted his gaze, not wanting to look into those shining green eyes.

"I just want to be your equal." Loki took Thor's face in his hands and made him look into his eyes again.

"You are more than my equal, Loki, you are my brother. I am proud of anything you do. I love you." Thor then kissed him on the forehead.

Neither said anything for several moments, both feeling somewhat different than they had about each other prior to this night. Thor released him sat on the bed, Loki sat next to him.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Loki changed the subject and received a smile from his brother, "Father told the warriors that you would be going on your first training exercise nine days after your birthday! Are you not excited? I wish you could have heard father telling them how proud he was of you and that your first mission was to be that soon!"

Thor's birthday was in only four days. He was to be eighteen, a man, a warrior.

"I have heard it from you, that is more special." he smiled.

"I wish I could go with you, it will be boring without you around."

There was a bit of an awkward pause as the two looked at each other, uncertain of what they should say next.

Loki filled the silence again.

"Oh, I just cannot wait for you to see the gift I have made for you, brother! You will be proud of my skills when you see it!" Loki's excitement showed in his voice.

"I cannot wait, brother! I am always impressed when I see new magic you have learned," Thor reached out to pull his brother closer to him.

Loki smiled and hugged his brother back. Thor buried his face in the younger boy's neck and closed his eyes, he breathed deeply of Loki's scent. Loki had always smelled of the library, like the ancient crumbling books he buried himself in. Thor also detected a new sweeter underlying scent that he couldn't quite make out. Loki's scent was always... comforting.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

When Thor woke up on his eighteenth birthday, he thought he might feel different. Instead, all he felt was child-like excitement. Still, he was a man now and needed to appear stoic.

He got out of bed and went to Loki's chambers without changing his night clothes. Loki was not there, and he was nowhere to be found at breakfast. Lady Sif and the Warriors Three had given him a necklace of silver with the fang of a great wolf they had killed during a hunt earlier that winter. It had tried to attack Fandrall and Lady Sif had brought it down with a single arrow to the eye mid-leap. It was a beautiful gift, and they promised he could join them on the next hunt now that he was a man.

Loki was not at the midday meal, either. His father Odin had always given him a gift on his birthday, usually in the privacy of his parent's chambers. This time Odin requested that he be present in the throne room after he had eaten.

Thor thought that Loki surely would be at his father's side to give him his gift, but when he strolled into the throne room and knelt before his father, Loki was not there. Everyone knelt when Thor did so, but Odin stood and held out his hand for Thor to stand as well.

"As you all know, it is my eldest son's eighteenth birthday. Thor is already a great warrior, trained by the best. He will be a great king someday, a strong leader and protector of the people of Asgard. I am honored to gift him his birthright, Mjolnir. This hammer was made for Thor and only Thor. He is the only one in the nine realms able to lift it. With Mjolnir, Thor will be able to call thunder and lightning to help him in battle. He will have the power to bring down mountains as well as men…" Odin embraced his son and stepped aside to reveal a large silver hammer.

Thor grasped the handle of his gift. It felt cool and radiated energy; it was light in his hand, and seemed like an extension of his arm. He lifted it above his head for all to see, and sounds of awe were heard all around the room.

"Thank you father…" said Thor, approaching his father to embrace him, and then his radiant mother. "… Thank you both. I shall cherish Mjolnir for as long as I shall live."

"Long live Thor, the Thunderer!" Boomed Odin, his fist pumping in the air.

"Long live Thor, the Thunderer!" The room chanted back.

Thor scanned the faces in the room to see if he could find Loki. The room was emptying quickly, and Loki had missed it.

Thor decided to search for Loki, he tried everywhere he knew his brother to go on a regular basis; Loki's chambers, the vast library, the great hall, the stables and even their parent's chambers, plus all of the meandering hallways in between.

He was becoming worried, he had looked everywhere and upon not finding Loki, he ran to his own chambers. He started pacing and thinking of any places he might have missed in his search. He had exhausted all possibilities in his mind, it wasn't until then that he noticed the green parchment that had been propped up on his bedside table.

It had his name scrolled in Loki's gold script on it. He placed Mjolnir by his bed and unfolded the parchment, golden letters appeared on the blank page.

"Dear Brother,

Happy eighteenth Birthday! Are you looking for me?

Come out to the gardens nearest the forest on the East side of the palace. Your gift shall be waiting there.

Love,

Loki"

Thor ran from the palace and bounded out to the gardens as fast as he could. Loki must have been sitting out here for hours, for he had fallen asleep in the middle of a small but grand garden of exotic flowers. Thor's mind saw nothing of the beauty and splendor of the enchanted garden, only the beauty of the sleeping Loki in the midst of it.

He scooped up his brother without waking him and held him close. It was then that he really saw the garden. It was filled with flowers he had never seen before, colors that did not exist in Asgard; violets, oranges, and reds so much more beautiful than the beloved edelweiss that grew everywhere here. Edelweiss was plain and white, ordinary compared to this rainbow of primrose before him. He knew how much time and magic Loki had spent on it.

Thor smiled as Loki moved in his arms and finally opened his eyes, squinting in the full daylight.

"Thor, Happ - " Loki's words were stifled by Thor's lips finding his.

Loki was completely still. After a moment, Loki pushed Thor away and wriggled free of his brother's arms. They stared at each other for a long moment, neither of them saying a word.

Loki didn't mean to push Thor away, but he had been caught off guard again.

Thor didn't know what to do, he had kissed his brother a second time. He turned and started to run.

"Thor wait!" Loki's words had fallen short.

He had always admired his handsome brother, he had always overheard how many maidens in the palace lusted after him, and every time he heard it a knot of jealousy grew inside of him. He had thought that the jealousy he felt all of these years was because of his not-so-subtle differences between he and his brother, maybe because he never overheard anyone talking about himself in that way. Anyone who had shown interest in Loki was trying to get to Thor through him.

It hurt, but maybe that was not the reason for his jealousy. Maybe he was jealous of whomever Thor would end up falling in love with.

Maybe Loki wanted Thor for himself. This thought knocked the breath out of him.

On the other hand, Loki knew that Thor was his brother and it was wrong to love your brother in this way. Men had been killed for this kind of thing in Asgard, what of the royal sons? It would be a dark blemish on the name of the Odinson house. He couldn't tell Thor his true feelings. What would Odin say, what of Frigga, if this turned into something and they found out? He and Thor would be separated forever. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't tell Thor how he really felt. At the thought of being separated from his beloved brother, tears started to spill down his cheeks. He would have to lie to Thor for the first time in his life, lie to the only person in his life he had never lied to.

He stood there for quite some time not realizing he was still touching his lips.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Thor ran back to his chambers, putting Mjolnir in front of the door so that no one could disturb him. He was sobbing into his hands freely now.

He had just kissed Loki a second time. The feelings causing him to lose control of himself when in his brother's presence were confusing.

He sobbed harder now, as he hadn't even thanked his brother for his glorious gift. How could he now, when he knew Loki would probably never want to hear from him again. He knew that kissing Loki was wrong, that he could be disowned, even banished for it, but all he could think about was Loki's lips.

Had he felt Loki kiss him back, leaning into Thor before pushing him away? The kiss had only lasted seconds, but Thor still felt it on his lips. He couldn't help that Loki was so beautiful, or the way he affected him. The taste of him had almost been too much.

He was slowly coming to the realization that he loved Loki more than a brother should, he could not let that realization get the best of him again. He felt a weight heavier than Mjolnir in his chest. What could he do?

A soft knock on the door made Thor stop crying abruptly, his voice shook as he asked, "Who is it?"

"It's me. Please let me in," Loki implored.

Thor was suddenly worried. Was Loki angry at him? Was he here to berate him now? He was hesitant to open the door, but Loki knocked again. He moved Mjolnir and opened the door, he made his way to his bed and sat down with a heaviness and a large sigh, his face was in his hands trying to hide from his brother, wondering as Loki let himself in slowly, what he would say to him.

Loki said nothing, he just looked at his feet. He didn't want to lie to Thor, but some things had to be done.

"I'm so sorry, I do not know what came over me. Your present was amazing. I love it, brother. Thank you..." Thor finally spoke, taking his face out of his hands.

Loki paced the floor in front of Thor before speaking. He was wishing this could go a different way, that he could just tell Thor how he felt. How he wanted to feel his lips on his again right this second.

"I do not know what is happening, brother. I cannot return the same sentiment." Loki lied, and he had tried to sound convincing. The kiss still lingered on his lips as well as his mind. He tried not to look at Thor, he knew that he would melt if he looked into his blue eyes.

Thor looked up into his brother's face before Loki turned to go. Loki blushed when he saw Thor looking into his eyes, his lips ached.

"At least someone finds me desirable," Loki mumbled sarcastically under his breath as he left the room.

Thor stared as his brother left the room. How could he tell Loki that it had been taking all of his brute strength not to grab him and kiss him again. He felt like his insides were being cut out of him with a dull blade, he didn't know that he wasn't the only one who felt the same pain.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Throughout the following years, their friendship and brotherhood had changed, but the feelings they had for each other had grown tenfold. Thor's training kept him away for weeks, sometimes months on end with only a few days reprieve to sleep and recover. This did not leave much time for Loki, his increasingly distant, mischievous brother.

During training the weather had been bitterly cold, they couldn't see ten feet in front of them in the snow. Some of the warriors had suffered frostbite or hypothermia and needed to recover before the next training exercises. Odin had told them that all of the warriors should spend some time with their families and friends, he had seen the toll that the weather had taken on them. This time Thor would be home for two months, and he looked forward to it.

Thor bathed and changed out of his worn out armor. He wanted to seek out his brother, he missed the days when Loki would be at the return feasts in the great hall. They would tell each other what the other had missed in the long weeks or months they had been apart.

But Loki had stopped coming to the feasts, and had stopped visiting his chambers to talk. He missed Loki while he was gone, and now he missed Loki when he was home. His imagination made him miss Loki even more...

By the Norns Loki had changed in the long months since Thor had started his training outside of the palace walls. His eyes were more cunning, his silver tongue much more lithe, his magic stronger than ever before. he had a quietness about him. Loki had become a man, very attractive in an exotic way that Thor could not put a finger on. Loki did not have the look of a prince of Asgard, he was no mighty warrior and flaunted it.

As handsome as he had become, Thor could tell that something was amiss in Loki's smile. His demeanor was not as cheerful as it had been when they were younger. He seemed almost… sad. He would do anything to see him smile again.

Thor had nothing to do while he was on reprieve, so he would seek Loki out whenever he had a moment to spare. But he never seemed to be able to find him. Loki would disappear in the early morning and then re-appear in the evening with his nose in a book, just to disappear again into his chambers. It seemed as if Loki wanted nothing to do with him.

Thor ached just to see him, even a glimpse of him. It took all of the strength in his being not to knock on his door and wake him up, and to demand of him why he made himself scarce everyday. Thor longed to talk at length with his brother as they used to in days of old.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Tonight Thor had had a bit too much mead with Hogun, one of the Warriors 3. They had stayed in the dining hall half the night, talking about the next hunting trip. They planned on inviting Lady Sif and the other two that completed the Warriors 3 hunting before they had to leave again. The men got bored of the normal chit chat and were looking for something a bit more fun to do.

Hogun wanted to see if he could lift Mjolnir, if the legend of the magical hammer were true and that only Thor could lift it. Thor agreed and had almost stumbled his way back to his chambers to fetch it. Outside of Loki's chambers Thor was stopped in his tracks, he heard his name, or at least he thought he did. He listened for another minute.

All of a sudden "Thorrr" the sweet voice came again, it was louder this time.

Was it Loki? Was he in trouble? Thor's mind raced to a million and one things that could be happening to Loki on the other side of the door separating him from his brother. His door was not locked. Thor stumbled in to find Loki still asleep.

As a child, Loki had often sighed in his sleep, sometimes he would speak incoherently in a language Thor did not understand. Tonight he was almost restless, making sounds and all of a sudden said "Mmm...Thor…" in a voice that sounded as if it had been coated in honey, he was laying on his back tangled in the covers, his night clothes twisted and revealing his muscular stomach. All Thor could do was stare, he had never seen Loki look so innocent or so beautiful as he did right now. Then Loki's eyes fluttered open and caught sight of Thor. Loki's eyes were wild.

"Thor! What are you doing in my chamber? How long have you been here?" Loki demanded, gathering up his sheets to his chin.

"A few seconds, I heard you say my name and I came to see what was wrong," Thor defended.

"I thought I locked the door," said Loki dryly.

"Were you having a dream?" queried Thor.

"Yes, I was having a good dream. You died in it!" said Loki, clearly annoyed.

"Good," Thor was relieved that Loki was alright, but was thirsty for conversation.

"If that's all, then goodnight," said Loki.

"Loki... Are you avoiding me?" He crossed his arms on his broad chest and the mead gave him the courage he needed to ask this. Thor was trying to not come off as intoxicated, trying to stand up straight.

"I've been very busy. I am working on reading every book in the library."

"You and your books..." Thor wanted to change the subject, and he mused aloud thoughtfully. "... It would be nice to see my brother once in a while."

"I'm sure," Loki was sarcastic again, but he rethought his reply. "... I suppose I can arrange that."

Loki wanted to sleep, but his mind and heart were relentless. He ached to talk to his brother every second of every day. He hid himself away to keep from wanting more of him. But he had no control of heart nor mind that night.

Thor and Loki sat up most of the night talking about Thor's training and Loki's finding books about magic in a lost language that he was translating. They laughed about old inside jokes and things that had happened while away from each other, and reminisced about their childhood.

Both wanted to tell the other their true feelings, but that did not happen. They tried to stay awake all night, but ended up falling asleep next to each other.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

In the morning Loki woke up with Thor snuggled to him, their legs intertwined. He looked down at his brother and was instantly enchanted by seeing him so close, and the rugged warrior looking so innocent. Seeing Thor this way stirred forbidden emotions back to the surface of Loki's mind.

He tried to get up without waking Thor, but his brother just scooted closer in his sleep and pressed his face against Loki's chest.

Loki hesitated, but then pressed his nose against Thor's hair and inhaled his scent. His brother always smelled of leather, pine, and metal... like a warrior should smell. Loki looked at this large sleeping man, a smile played at the edge of Thor's lips.

Damn those lips! He was so beautiful… and Loki couldn't help thinking how much he loved his brother lying in his arms like this. His hand started to caress Thor's muscular back. He was so warm, and he felt so good on this snowy morning.

Thor's eyes started to open and he pushed himself away from Loki with a boyish yawn. He had been having a rather intimate dream about his brother, and waking up in the object of his desire's arms was a startling reality. He shook his tousled blonde hair into his face, hiding a blush.

"Please don't hide from me brother…" said Loki softly, he couldn't help but lay a hand on Thor's shoulder to comfort him. "I have the same problem most mornings!"

It was hard for Loki to not be a bit horny upon waking up. But Loki didn't want anyone, especially Thor to know that he dreamt of his brother every night since his brother had first kissed him. He dreamt of his brother in ways a brother should never dream about a brother.

Thor rolled back over to face his brother, Loki realized he was noticing that he was not the only one who had an erection and blushing in this bed. Loki reached for his brother noting his tear-stained cheeks, and pulled him to himself in a warm embrace. He said nothing, he listened to Thor's breathing, and felt his heartbeat against him. Thor couldn't even look him in the eye.

Loki could barely stand it.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

That morning was the first day in almost a year that Loki decided to eat his meals in the dining hall with Thor and his friends. Loki asked Thor to meet him in his garden at sunset.

Thor went to the garden at the specified time and sat in the midst of the flowering beauty and waited for Loki. Loki appeared by his side in an instant, obviously practicing a new spell.

"I wanted to ask you, brother..." started Loki, there was a long pause as he looked at Thor and his breath caught a little in his throat, but Thor let him continue without interruption. "I wanted to ask you...if you wouldn't mind terribly... coming to my chambers tonight. I slept so well with you there last night, I haven't had such rest in months, I think it was because I felt your presence there, and I knew that it wasn't a dream. I took comfort in you being there."

Thor stared at Loki and listened carefully to the request, he felt needed by his little brother. In the past, he had always been the one that needed Loki, had longed to talk to him, to be together and inseparable as they had been when they were children. He knew Loki had been lacking proper rest, dark circles under his eyes had given him away to that fact. Today he had looked refreshed upon awakening, and his eyes had been brighter than usual.

Thor nodded, "Of course brother, I could tell you had gotten much rest, you looked and acted today as if a weight had been lifted from you. I shall be there tonight, but tell me brother… did you have dreams last night? Is there a spell you can cast to rid yourself of these dreams? I know they have been taking a toll on you, and I do not wish to see you in such torment."

Loki didn't realize his brother noticed so much about him, it was endearing, but what he could not tell Thor was what the dreams were about. The the dreams had been taking a toll on him, but he had never hated the dreams-in all honesty he had started to look forward to them. He didn't know what the dreams meant, but how could you tell your brother you were having intimate dreams about him?

"I don't...hate...the dreams..." he looked away from Thor's gaze.

"I thought they were keeping you awake? I thought they were troubling you." Thor looked confused.

"They do..." he gazed at the sun setting against the horizon.

He could see the wheels turning.

"Come to my chamber tonight after the dinner feast, we will talk more then, brother, but until then..." His words trailed off as he embraced his brother quickly and there was a flash of light. Loki was gone and Thor was no longer in his garden, he had materialized into his own chambers in time to dress for dinner.

He finally connected the dots and saw the whole picture, Loki's dreams were about him. He had been imagining what it would be like and Loki had been dreaming of it! He couldn't wait to talk to Loki tonight and and tell him that he had figured it out. He felt a joy in his heart that his brother needed him, and during dinner he could not help but smile at everyone-but only he knew what his joy was about.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Thor went to the dinner feast expecting to find Loki in the chair next to his, but the chair sat empty. He sat down for a few minutes, not eating, just sipping his wine and wondering where Loki was. He decided to go in search of him, he drained his goblet and left the hall.

He went to see if maybe Loki had gotten lost in a book or had decided to lay down for a bit. He went to the library and did not find him in his usual nook, so he went to his chambers, he knocked lightly but no one answered. He was about to leave when he heard his name again in that honey sweet voice he had heard the night before, and then again but this time muffled a bit by something.

Thor tried the door, he thought Loki to be asleep and dreaming again. When the door opened he peeked around it. Loki was not asleep… quite the contrary.

Loki was on the bed, naked, with his backside to the door, face buried in the pillows and moaning his name. He was stroking his erection with such passion Thor knew he was about to orgasm. Thor was instantly hard when he stumbled upon this scene and felt those feelings flood back to his memory the instant he had heard his name moaned by Loki in his passion.

Again Loki moaned Thor's name and then he saw his brother come, the hand around his cock slowed and he could see his sac tighten with each wave of his orgasm. Loki collapsed, his face still in the pillows, hand still around his cock. His breath came in heavy bursts. Thor was impressed by the whole scene. His brother's naked body was perfect, his muscles glistening with sweat.

He backed out of the room and walked back to his own chambers. The whole time all he could see was Loki pleasuring himself in his mind. His brother had been moaning his name. It was not until he was close to orgasm himself that he realized he had been stroking his own erection at the thought of Loki doing the same. He came with such force that he had to lay there for quite some time to catch his breath, and he was hard again almost instantaneously. He knew he had to tell Loki how he felt tonight.

He bathed and dressed for bed, then made his way to Loki's chambers. This time when he knocked he waited for Loki to answer. Loki was also in bed clothes and embraced his brother when he opened the door to him. He could feel Loki's erection underneath the loose night shirt he was wearing.

They just stood there looking at each other. Thor didn't know how to start to breach the subject that was on his mind, but Loki did.

Loki didn't say a word, he put a hand on Thor's arm to silence his thought, his eyes were closed and then Loki's face was instantly near to Thor's-so close that he could feel him even though they weren't touching, and Loki took the final step and his lips melted into Thor's.

Thor's eyes closed as he grabbed his brother to him. His arms had ached to hold his brother, his lips burned with a desire to be one with Loki's. Loki had Thor's face in his hands, he brushed Thor's hair out of his eyes and his legs wrapped around his brother's body, the closeness made them want more. They kissed passionately for what seemed like an eternity, it was Loki who broke the kiss.

"How can I feel so much for my brother? How could I want you so badly and still push you away?" Loki's words were smothered with another kiss, Thor's hands had now found Loki's ass. Loki's erection was now very apparent, it was digging into Thor's stomach.

"I knew when we kissed that first time that I had fallen for you. The dreams that night. I didn't know how to respond to dreams of being intimate with my own brother. I didn't know until later that I had started to enjoy them, look forward to them...use them for my own pleasure when I wasn't asleep..." Thor hushed him again with his lips.

Thor put him down."I-I saw you tonight...I came looking for you and I-you didn't hear me knock, but I heard you say my name, I thought you had fallen asleep and I let myself in..." Thor confessed as a smile snaked it's way across Loki's face and he looked Thor in the eye again.

"I knew you were there," said Loki in a low voice. His hand brushed Thor's shoulder lightly sending a shiver down his back.

His arms went about Thor's neck and his lips found their way along his collar bone, his hot kisses trailed up his neck and back to his mouth where his lips lingered awhile. Their tongues mingled as their hands wandered. Thor needed to be closer to his brother, he picked him up and placed him on the bed. He looked at him before laying beside him, he wanted him in his arms and he wanted to touch him everywhere, kiss him everywhere.

He wanted to feel Loki's body on his and he pulled Loki up so that he was laying on top of him. They could feel each other's erections though their night shirts, but Thor didn't feel they were close enough. He grabbed the hem of Loki's night shirt and pulled it off over his head, messing up those beautiful raven locks and he got harder. His scent was stronger now and that drove Thor wild. Loki helped rid Thor of his shirt as well and they were skin to skin, their warmth and scents mingling as they kissed and caressed each other.

Thor laid Loki on his back and his hand found his cock, felt the moisture at the tip and started to stroke it. He was looking into his brother's eyes as he stroked, he saw Loki's desire rising. Loki reached up and grabbed Thor's face and kissed him again, his hips were thrusting into Thor's hand, he didn't let Thor go until he was about to come. He spilled all over Thor's hand as he came.

Oh how Loki had dreamt of this, literally, for years. Never had he wanted anything more, and he now had him, in his arms, in his bed.

Loki's breathing had slowed after he came and Thor had pulled him to himself and listened to his brother's long slow breaths. After a a few moments, he could feel his erection being touched by feather light hands and then enveloped in a warm tight wetness. His eyes snapped open, and he looked down to see Loki gazing up at him with half-lidded eyes and the tip of Thor's cock in his mouth.

Oh the sensation he felt at that instant! He couldn't contain his orgasm, he grabbed Loki's head as he came hard into his brother's throat, and released him when he was done. Loki sat up and then came to snuggle under Thor's arm looking up into his eyes.

"Where did you learn that? Amazing..." breathed Thor, trying to catch his lost breath.

"We did that in my dreams and I wanted to try it to see if it really would pleasure you...I think I got my answer." smiled Loki.

Thor saw that Loki was still rock hard, and wanted to see Loki come again. Thor loved that he was the reason for Loki's pleasure, in his subconscious and now in real life.

He reached down to where Loki's cock was and took it in his hand, started to stroke it slowly.

Loki closed his eyes and bit his lower lip, "Your hands feel so much better than my own."

Thor kissed him, before letting go of his brother and sliding down the bed to rest himself between Loki's legs. Once there he admired his brothers cock for a moment before proceeding to take it down his throat.

Loki thrust himself between Thor's lips, and let out a small whine when Thor's hands stilled his hips. He made up for it by increasing the speed of his mouth until Loki was moaning.

Thor knew he was about to lose it entirely, and took his hands off his hips and let Loki thrust hard into his mouth. With one hand on Thor's head and the other twisted in the sheets, Loki came hard.

Thor was surprised at the taste of his brother, bitter but enjoyable. He had never tasted even his own semen, so he had no idea what it should taste like. He licked his lips and smiled up at his brother, "Did I please you well?"

Loki could only laugh and nod, as he was clearly spent. He was breathing hard and deep with his eyes closed when Thor snuggled up behind him and they fell asleep.

Reality was becoming much better than mere dreams.

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Thor and Loki were enjoying falling asleep exhausted after pleasuring each other for hours with their hands and mouths, and waking up with arms and legs tangled together in the sheets for weeks now. But Thor had to go back to his training, he only had a few days left to enjoy his brother's company before leaving for who knows how long. Loki knew Thor had to go back as well and Thor could tell that Loki was trying to hide his feelings about his leaving again so soon after they had this new found joy in each other. But they had a few days left to savor each other's company and spend as much time together as possible. Several times a day, and after dinner they would disappear, Thor's friends were starting to wonder where he was disappearing to so often and not including them. They started to question him at meals in front of Loki and Loki lied about teaching Thor some magic healing spells to use in their training and in battle.

Lady Sif was the only one who looked a bit skeptical, she had her eye on Thor and she was noticing more and more silent glances and subtle touches between he and Loki as of late. At first she dismissed it as the brothers reconciling a tiff and becoming best friends again after so much distance, but she saw Loki blush when he had told them about the healing spells, neither of them looked her in the eye the rest of that evening.

The 2 sons of Asgard finished their meal and bade Lady Sif and the Warriors 3 goodnight before slipping out of the dining hall and back to Thor's room. Thor locked the door and proceeded to strip his brother of his emerald colored garments at once, his tunic, his boots, his pants, and Loki was stripping his brother of his glinting armor and ruby garments, all the while joined in a passionate, lustful kiss. They only had a few nights left to explore each other and they wanted to make the most of it. Their lips were finding more ways to pleasuring each other, their hands and fingers seeking out new erogenous zones, Loki's dreams proving to be a complete guide to each other's undoing. Tonight Loki's finger found Thor's opening and circled it with a lithe fingertip, Thor winced when Loki breached the tight ring of muscle there.

"Loki, that hurts, are you sure about that?" Thor was in pain but didn't mean to make Loki feel bad.

"In my dreams you loved this..." his brow furrowed a little as he trailed off in thought "Oh wait, hold on."

Loki must have left something in his room because he jumped up from the bed, wrapped a sheet around himself and ran out of the room, he came back a few moments later with a jar of something. Loki opened the jar and dipped his finger into the amber liquid.

"It's oil, it will help with this." He smiled and kissed Thor quickly on the lips, then went back to work, his finger slipped inside of Thor with ease this time. Thor gasped but felt instant pleasure building. Thor closed his eyes and Loki slipped another finger into him, he was sliding those long fingers in and out of him and listening for sounds of pleasure emanating from Thor. All of a sudden his fingers were gone and Thor's eyes opened to see why Loki had taken his beautiful fingers away, he saw Loki putting some oil on his cock and stroking himself to get the oil all over it, then the head of his cock was about to breach Thor's opening.

"What are you doing?" he looked a bit apprehensive.

Loki, compared to Thor, was a bit on the small side, but his cock was impressive. Thor was worried about the pain he was sure was going to come of this.

"You will like this I promise, I want all of my dreams to become a reality for us both. I want to pleasure you in every way possible." Loki looked at his brother, his eyes glistening, and Thor knew they would both hurt when he left.

The head of Loki's cock was still pushing lightly at Thor's hole, and all of a sudden the tip of it was in, then a little more, with each gentle thrust Loki made a little more of his cock was inside of Thor until Loki was to the hilt, he leaned down and kissed him full and hard on the mouth and before pulling away he breathed an "I love you, brother" into his ear. Thor wrapped his arms around him and started to gyrate his hips so he could feel the fullness that Loki created inside of him even more. Loki was right, he loved this feeling, he had never felt so close to anyone before.

Thor took his cock in his hand to stroke it while Loki started to thrust in him, slowly at first and gradually, as Thor's breaths got faster, so did he. As Thor's moans became louder, so did Loki's. Thor had stopped stroking his own cock and his eyes closed tightly, he wrapped his arms around Loki's neck and groaned loudly as he came. Loki thrust harder now as Thor came, the waves of tightness Thor's orgasm created drove him wild. He came deep inside of his brother, collapsing onto his chest to catch his breath. Thor rolled Loki over so that they were laying on their sides, this was the closeness he had dreamed of. He looked into Loki's eyes and realized that he had not reciprocated his brother's vocalized feelings of love for him and he pulled his brother close to kiss him deeply, passionately, hungrily again.

"I love you, too, brother." he kissed into Loki's creamy neck, the neck he would give anything not to leave.

Loki held onto Thor, he no longer felt he was living in his shadow, but standing on a pedestal in his brother's heart.

Loki twined his fingers with Thor's and just nodded his head, a single tear ran down his cheek and Thor kissed it away. He kissed as much of Loki's body as possible and back to his mouth where he lingered awhile before just holding Loki to him, his treasured love.

Thor had never seen such emotion from his brother before these past few weeks. Loki was usually placid, never showing his true feelings beneath the surface of his calm demeanor. He felt special that he had shown him a glimpse of the raw emotion inside of him, even if it was only as small as a single tear.

"I want to feel you inside of me too." whispered Loki.

Thor was hard again at the thought of being inside of his brother, but he was afraid he would hurt him. Loki may have had a large cock, but Thor was much bigger, taller, and thicker, and his cock followed that blueprint as well.

"Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you, I would not be able to forgive myself if I did." Thor frowned looking at his brother's small frame.

"Please Thor? Can we just try? If it hurts too much we can stop. I promise to tell you if I am in pain." said Loki as he kissed Thor's fingers.

Thor agreed they would try and he dipped his fingers into the oil as Loki had done. His finger slid into Loki's tight hole with some resistance, but Loki just closed his eyes and breathed a bit harder. When he felt he had loosened him up enough he inserted another finger, he repeated this until he had 4 fingers inside of Loki and he was moaning softly.

Loki finally propped himself up on his elbows to watch.

"I want you inside of me now." He said to Thor and handed him the oil to coat his erection with.

Thor wanted Loki so bad right now, more than he had ever wanted anything in his life. He spread his brother's legs and lifted them up to gain better access. He positioned himself so that his cock was pressing against Loki's opening. Thor slowly eased into his brother and Loki gasped, Thor stopped and looked at him to make sure he had not hurt him, but Loki nodded at him and motioned for him to proceed. Loki bit his lip with every small thrust Thor made, and following Loki's example, he was finally in his brother all the way. He felt amazing and warm inside of Loki and he all of a sudden had to break the urge to thrust hard into his brother. Loki wrapped his arms around Thor's neck, his legs around his torso, and clung to him as Thor thrust slowly at first and the a bit more rough until Loki was moaning and pulling at Thor's hair. Thor was in ecstasy, and from the noises Loki was making, he was too.

"Harder!" Loki almost yelled into Thor's ear and he obliged, going harder and deeper into Loki with each thrust. He must have hit a pleasure point inside of his brother because with every thrust Loki was gasping and whimpering, trembling and clinging to Thor, digging his nails into his shoulders.

"THOR!" Loki cried out in pleasure, possibly audible for the whole realm to know exactly what was going on behind that locked door.

Loki threw his head back when he came between himself and Thor, but Thor kept thrusting for a few more minutes before coming deep inside of Loki. They were both exhausted and collapsed into each other's arms.

"I love you, Loki" Thor took his lips away from his brother's for a moment, "I don't ever want to leave you again, not even for training, I don't care about anything but being with you."

"What if you don't have to leave me?" Loki asked with a smile creeping across his face.

"What do you mean?" Thor looked puzzled, no one but the warriors were allowed to join in on the training missions, and Loki was no warrior.

"What if I knew a way that we could be together without anyone ever knowing I was there and no one knew I was gone from the palace?" He yawned.

As long as they could be together Thor didn't care how it happened.

"I would like that very much." said Thor into his brother's shoulder. He pulled the covers over them, Loki was already on his way to sleep, a slight smile on his bruised lips.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Loki was getting dressed when Thor woke up, he noticed he was awake and leaned over the bed to kiss him good morning, he leaned a little bit too far, he lost his balance and Thor caught him to his chest. After kissing his lips he kissed his shoulders and his collar bone, down his chest and stomach before Loki pulled away, noticeably flustered and straightened his garments.

"I have a lot of work to do today, I have a lot of books to read. I will see you at the midday meal. I love you." said Loki before planting a kiss on Thor's temple and pulling his boots on.

He watched as Loki left and closed the door in a swirl of green. Thor felt suddenly so alone in his bed.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

At breakfast Lady Sif was still persistent to know what he and Loki were really up to, Thor told her the same lie that Loki had the night before about Loki teaching him healing spells to be used in training. She didn't buy it, Thor was a terrible liar and would not make eye contact during such lies.

She followed Thor everywhere that day and all Thor wanted was to do was go to his chambers to get away from her and lay in the sheets that still held the scent of Loki. He missed Loki already and it wasn't even time for the midday meal. Lady Sif followed him down the hall to his chambers and when he told her he had the need to use the chamber pot, and to please leave him to himself, she conceded to wait outside of his door until his return. When he entered his chamber he found a naked Loki sprawled in his bed reading a book and making notes in a thick journal, a large stack of books in too many other languages to count piled next to the bed haphazardly. Loki looked up at him, catching a peek at Lady Sif's back before the door was hastily closed. His face went white.

"What is she doing here?" Loki whispered annoyed.

"She has been following me all day, I had to make an excuse that I had to use the chamber pot. Such a way to have to speak to a lady to get a moment's peace!" hissed Thor, also noticeably annoyed. Thor paced the room, glancing at the creamy skin and glowing green eyes of his beloved laying on his stomach surrounded by books and ancient parchments in the middle of his bed. He gave in to his temptation and moved the books and parchments to the floor in one sweep of his arm. He climbed over him and started biting gently at his brother's earlobes, neck, and back, ending up with a passionate kiss and a noticeable bulge in his pants that Loki started to stroke through the thick fabric. Loki rolled over to face his lover and to more deeply kiss him, he started to untie the strings keeping him from his brother's erection, when there was a knock on the door.

"What are you doing in there?" asked Lady Sif, she sounded annoyed as well.

"I am laying down for a bit, I have a pain in my head, I'll see you at the midday meal." lied Thor, and Loki stifled a giggle.

"How about you use one of your healing spells then." she shot back at him through the door.

All of a sudden the door opened and Thor closed his eyes, he thought for sure that he and his brother had been caught in the act and he didn't want to look her in the eye. But he noticed that the warmth that had been next to him was gone, and he opened his eyes. Loki and the books were gone, it was just him laying in the middle of the unmade bed. He hoped she hadn't noticed the bulge in his pants or the fact that his pants were halfway unlaced, or the fact that his lips were red from the passionate kiss he had just received. He just wanted her to leave.

She must have noticed his clothed erection, because she sat down next to him on the bed and reached over to start stroking it through his pants while she leaned in to try to kiss him, he avoided her kiss and he pushed her hand away.

"What do you think you are doing?!" Thor almost yelled.

"I thought...I'm sorry..." suddenly there were tears in her eyes and she made to leave.

She stopped and stood at the door for a moment before turning back around, this time anger taking the place of the embarrassment that had just been in her voice and on her face.

"Is there another maiden you would rather have? Am I not enough beauty for the Golden Prince of Asgard?" she didn't wait for him to respond before continuing, "Oh wait, you can have any woman you want in all of the nine realms! Because I chose to be a warrior, am I too masculine for Thor Odinson?" she spat at him, she sounded hurt, there were tears in her eyes once again. He hadn't realized that Sif had harbored feelings for him, but he had nothing to offer her, all he had belonged to Loki.

"I did not mean to hurt your feelings, there is no other maiden, but you are my friend and I could never be anything more to you. I knew you were in love with me, I just couldn't bear to tell you that I cannot return your feelings, I feared I would break your heart. You have been and always shall be one of my closest friends. But I would not be a good match for you, you deserve so much better than I could ever be." said Thor trying to be sensitive to her.

"We grew up side by side, have fought side by side, have taken our meals side by side. I always thought that you were the one. I assumed that you knew of how I felt, but were just too bad with words or emotions to speak up. I thought my intentions were clear in the way I look at you everyday. My heart breaks every day that you don't acknowledge me. Now I know why, you never even knew. But know this, Thor Odinson, I will always love you no matter how daft you are! Someday you will realize what was right in front of you and wish you had not thrown it away on some nobody!"

The tears returned to her eyes, her voice catching on the emotions that were spilling out of her.

"Please do not ever speak of this again, as of right now I shall look at you as nothing more than a friend. I hope you know what you are letting go." and she turned to leave, slamming the door behind her.

All of a sudden there were lips on his lips and Loki materialized before his eyes in all of his naked glory.

"I thought she would never leave. What the hell was that about?" he said planting another steamy kiss on Thor's mouth and nibbling his bottom lip.

"How the hell did you do that" asked Thor, still pleasantly surprised by his sudden appearance.

"The same way we will be able to remain together while you are training. I read about some spells that haven't been used in ages, one allows me to be invisible for as long as I want and another allows me to transport myself and also objects to any place I like. When she came in I used the first to make myself invisible and the second to transport myself across the room as well as my books. i figured out a way to make them work together. It worked did it not?"

Thor pulled Loki to himself and kissed him deeply, now his dream could come true, he could go to his training and still come home to Loki at night in his tent, as long as they were quiet they wouldn't be found out.

"I never doubted you." Thor said when their kiss finally broke.

"Please tell me you love me, that you are not feeling pity for that woman?"

"I pity her, yes, but my love for you outweighs any other emotion." Thor kissed his nose, his mouth, his neck, fully intending to finish what they had started before being so rudely interrupted.

Loki's fingers went back to work on the laces keeping him from his prize. Thor's erection finally sprang forth, and it's length was being taken into Loki's mouth, his lips taut, a moan escaping and sending thrills down Thor's spine. Thor fumbled with the jar of oil kept in the bedside table, and Loki saw what he was up to and took some to lubricate Thor's cock. His fingers, still slick with oil, were then inserted into his own ass, and soon he was opened up for Thor. Loki was on his knees now over Thor's chest and was guiding the latter's cock into his now stretched hole. He sat down slowly, his eyes closed, taking t all in before starting to slide up and down it's massive length. Thor's hands found his brother's waist and pulled him closer, Loki bit at Thor's nipple, making him buck his hips and moan. The friction of this position made Thor's cock hit the spot that made Loki see stars repeatedly. Loki was moaning so seductively and Thor started thrusting harder up into him. Loki's gasping was making Thor harder with each thrust until Loki came, and Thor held him close and thrusted until he came too, Loki moaned again at the sudden feeling of warmth in the depths of his being.

"Mmm that was wonderful." Loki rolled off of Thor and tried to catch his breath.

Thor rolled over and rested on his elbows above Loki, gazing into his bottomless green eyes.

"Hmm? What are you looking at?" Loki blinked and looked away.

Thor gently grabbed his chin and made Loki look at him again, but he closed his eyes.

"I have looked at you so many times, but I never can get enough of you, you're all I see when I close my eyes." He kissed one and then the other of Loki's eyelids until he looked at him again, "You're eyes are so deep and green, I have never seen this shade of green anywhere but in your eyes." Thor kissed his lips briefly and rolled over to lay next to him.

"I do not know what you see in me, brother, you are the handsome one, no one has ever said anything of the sort about me."

"i just did. I meant every word. Do you have the need to hear it from another who does not love you like I do?" Thor's hand grasped Loki's and their fingers twined together.

"No, I am just at a loss as to why you would choose me over Lady Sif. She is so beautiful, a fine warrior, and a fine woman."

"I have never desired Sif, only you, it has only ever been you since I first knew what love was. You made me realize that love knows no bounds. There is no right or wrong way to love. I know this to be true, because of my love for you, it is real and it is never ending." He nuzzled his face into Loki's neck, oh that neck!

Thor was nibbling on Loki's neck, soft at first and then harder, Loki gasped when he bit a little too hard. Thor drew back and kissed the mark he left. Loki exposed his neck again to Thor and it was nibbled softly again until Loki rolled over into Thor's embrace. Loki kissed him deeply, he kissed too hard sometimes, but Thor kissed back fiercely. Their lips were always bruised these days, a welcome ache when they couldn't be together, a constant reminder of their love.

"I am glad that you are mine. Know that I am wholly yours and yours alone." Loki wrapped his arms around Thor's neck once again and laid his head on his shoulder.

"No one can ever take your place in my heart, Loki." Thor stroked his black hair and held Loki to him.

Neither could imagine a world without the other.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

At dinner Sif did not speak to or even look at Thor. The Warriors Three thought nothing of it, she went on bouts of not talking to one or all of them on a regular basis. Sif was the only one who was still suspicious of Thor and Loki and was determined to figure out what was going on. Thor and Loki had appeared at the same time in the dining hall and sat down next to each other again. When they arrived at the table, Sif got up and left the table to sit across the room at an empty table with her back to them. Thor and Loki sat with the Warriors Three as Thor always had and they talked and laughed and drank their mead until Loki excused himself to his bed chamber. Thor remained at the table but squeezed Loki's leg before he got up and gave him a subtle glance to imply that he would soon join him in his bed chamber. Sif who was pretending to ignore them saw Loki blush when he caught Thor's eye before leaving.

"Come with me, now." Sif broke her silence, she was standing over him with her arms crossed.

Thor stood and followed Sif into the hallway leading to the gardens.

"What is going on with you and Loki?" demanded Sif.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." said Thor, this time looking her in the eye.

"Oh, I'm sure... the subtle glances, the blushing, the arm touching? I've been watching you and Loki for weeks now. For over a year you barely said two words to each other, he didn't even come to meals in the dining hall. Then one day you two are inseparable again? Keeping secrets, and...oh my gods..." all of a sudden Sif seemed to have a new idea about he and Loki and she brought her hand up to her mouth in shock. She looked at Thor once more and he knew that they had been found out.

"What business is it of yours that I am spending time with my brother, he is my best friend. Sif you are mad! I do not know what you are thinking but I can assure you that you are wrong. We didn't speak much during that time because we were both so busy, I have been trying to make time for him. He felt alone when I left for training, I left and never thought about his feelings. I know you have never accepted Loki, he has the potential to be mischievous at times and he does not have many friends, but he is my brother and he will always be first in my life. You do not have the right to pry into my affairs because you are bitter over being rejected by me." he lectured Sif on her assumption, as true as it may have been, but he and Loki's relationship was not her problem to solve. He never meant for the last words to sound so harsh.

She stepped back from him, not knowing what too say or do.

"I am sorry, Sif, I did not mean to hurt you." Thor looked at the hurt that was etched in her face.

"You cannot hurt me, Thor Odinson, I just hope that your magician of a brother doesn't have you deceived into thinking that he truly loves you." she turned and ran down the hall, that last part about Loki deceiving him cut to the bone.

He watched her disappear around a corner and wondered how much she really knew. If Sif was trying to plant a seed of doubt about his brother's love, it worked but quickly died in Thor's mind. He knew what he and Loki had was real and deep and meaningful. He knew he had found his soul mate, his true love.

He sought out Loki to tell him what Sif suspected, he found Loki in his bed under the covers reading a book. Under the covers he was naked. Thor was growing accustomed to finding Loki naked in his bed reading as of late, he welcomed this new custom wholeheartedly. It wasn't even a whole minute before Thor added his clothes to Loki's pile on the floor and his own naked body to Loki's under the covers. He told him about being confronted by Sif after dinner and that he thought they had been found out. Loki shrugged it off, who would believe her?

Thor reached behind the headboard and pulled out their now almost empty jar of oil, and coated his fingers with it. It didn't take long before 4 fingers were inside Loki and he was moaning away making Thor hard for him again. He was eager to be inside his brother and Loki was already trying to guide Thor's cock into his now oil slicked opening. Thor slid in slowly and started thrusting, he had Loki on his stomach with his legs spread and his beautiful buttocks in the air, the sight and feel of his cock sliding in and out of his brother's stretched hole combined with his name being called mixed with "Mmmmmm!" and "Oh yes harder!" led to Thor's massive orgasm deep inside of Loki. Before he could recover Loki had Thor pinned on his back, smothering him with kisses and nibbles, legs spread and was coating his own dripping erection with oil. He slid in with ease, and started thrusting, all of a sudden Loki hit a spot that made Thor see gasp with pleasure and he kept hitting that spot as he neared his own orgasm. He and Thor both came at the same time. He couldn't catch his breath.

"There's no way anyone would ever think us to be together." Loki was on his back now, Thor's arm stretched across his torso.

"I know, but Sif has never been known as a liar." Thor's face was half on the pillow and half on Loki's shoulder.

"No, but I am. I have overheard things in this palace. Just because I practice sorcery and magic, they assume I am a trickster, a liar, mischievous."

"I know better, let them say what they want, I know you." Thor's hand caressed his brother's face.

"I love you." Loki rewarded Thor with a smile, something he had come to love about his brother.

"I love you, too. Let no one tell you otherwise." Thor snuggled to his beloved's side and Loki pulled the covers over them. He felt so loved, so safe, so warm here in Loki's arms.

He only had one more night after this to spend at home with his brother in one of their own beds, tonight he wanted to sleep in his brother's arms and wake up to make love to him again.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Thor was packing for the mission that he would be leaving for the next day when he heard a knock on his door. He opened it and it was his mother Frigga. She didn't wait for him to invite her in before entering. She looked around, thank the Norns he had made his bed and picked up the mixture of his and Loki's clothing that had littered the floor after this morning's tryst. Her eyes landed on a book on the nightstand that Loki had been reading before Thor had come to bed the night prior, it was in elvish, Thor didn't read elvish. She picked up the book, looked at it, and then held it to her heart.

"What is your brother's book doing by your bed?" she asked.

"Loki came in to talk this morning and he left it." he lied badly.

She nodded. "I have heard some things lately about you and Loki, troubling things. I hope for you and your brother's sakes that the rumors are not true. You are brothers." said Frigga.

"I know mother, I also know that the spreader of these rumors threw herself at me and I denied her twice this week, she has been implying things ever since. You know Loki felt left out when I left for training, I had forgotten his feelings, I never sought him out whenever I would return. I sought him out this time, I'd forgotten our friendship and it has been rekindled. That is all, mother. Please ask her to stop these rumors, they are not going to change my mind." said Thor.

"Oh, I thought you would have been honored that a beautiful woman such as Sif thought about you in that way, not to mention she is one of our best warriors, you would never have to leave her home during training or battles, you could fight side by side, produce strong heirs. I thought I had foreseen that match quite some time ago, maybe I was wrong." she sounded a bit sad.

"Mother, there is no love there. She only wants me because I will one day rule Asgard as father does now. I could never love her as..." he realized he was about to say 'as much as Loki' but he stopped himself just short.

Frigga's face lit up at the prospect of one of her beloved sons being in love with a mystery maiden, how surprised she would be if she found out that this 'mystery maiden' was actually her other son...Thor knew he had said too much.

"Who? You are in love? My oldest son is in love? Who is she?" Frigga practically heard wedding bells in her mind.

"No one. You would know if there was someone." he lied through his teeth.

Frigga kissed her son on the cheek and told him goodnight before leaving, he could tell she knew he was lying.

"You'll tell me when you're ready." she said as she walked out the door.

A few minutes later he made his way to Loki's room to spend their last night home together. He told Loki about Sif's telling their mother of her suspicions and Frigga's confrontation when he told her he had declined Sif's advances, he was worried about their secret love being found out. What would Odin do if he found out his sons had fallen in love-with each other? He surely would not smile upon their union.

Loki tried to kiss away Thor's worries, and it worked for the time being. Soon they were kissing, their hands exploring, scratching, pleasuring, mouths biting, kissing, bruising. Breathless, they started stroking each other's erections, Thor moved to take Loki's into his mouth and suck him into ecstasy, Loki was making his erotic noises that drove him wild. Loki was still stroking Thor when he moved to take his brother's erection into his own mouth so that they could pleasure each other at the same time. Thor was so turned on by this and they quickly got into a good rhythm. Thor came so hard it gagged Loki for a second. Thor knew Loki was nowhere near completion, he started stroking him, playing with his sac. He then eyed the open jar of oil and dipped his fingers in it, he eased his fingers into Loki and started thrusting them in and out of him, he must have loved it from the noises that were escaping his lips, and he shook hard as he came. Thor laid next to him breathing in his scent, his eyes closing.

The next thing he knew he was waking up with Loki's arms still around him, he was the epitome of stunning beauty when he was awake, but he looked positively angelic when he was asleep. His ribs rose and fell with the soft breathing sounds of a deep slumber. Thor brushed a strand of hair out of his brother's face and kissed his lips lightly at first. Loki's eyes fluttered open and the kiss deepened. Loki smiled and pulled away for a brief moment to look at Thor before returning to his lips for more. He drank in Thor's kisses like a thirsty man would drink cold water on a hot summer's day. Neither wanted to think about Thor's having to leave in just mere hours. Right now this was the only thing that mattered.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Training was rigorous for the warriors, they battled each other, learned from wizened old warriors who told of the battles of their youth. It was almost sundown when they made their camp. Thor's tent was substantial, being that he was the son of Odin, with a thick feather mattress covered in furs. He made his way into his tent after dinner to dress his wounds and to lay down for some rest. What he found there was his beautiful brother waiting under the furs and reading, his exposed skin glowed by the light of the oil lamp. He looked up at Thor and he melted. Today had been along day of training, he had broken some ribs and gotten bruised up, nothing he couldn't handle. Loki used a healing spell to mend what he could of Thor's broken ribs, he was still going to be sore. Thor undressed and moved under the covers to wrap his arms around Loki, to kiss his sweet lips, and to feel his warmth. There was no pain in Loki's arms. There was so much comfort in his brother's presence even when he turned himself invisible in case anyone decided to come into the tent unannounced.

This continued for several weeks.

The night before the warriors would return to Asgard, Thor retired to his tent while the rest of the warriors celebrated the end of their training mission with mead and a roasted boar. He wasn't interested in drinking or merry making, he wanted to return to his tent, to his Loki, and to maybe some merry making of their own. Loki appeared as usual under the furs on the bed when he came in, Thor undressed not looking at anything but Loki and his gorgeous skin that seemed to light up beneath his gaze, his eyes shining with lust, deep set emeralds in his flawless face. His clothing could not come off fast enough before his naked body was against Loki's and he was drinking in his kisses like he hadn't kissed him in an eternity. Tonight Loki wanted Thor to make love to him, wanted him deep inside of him. It had been weeks since they had done more than kiss and fondle each other due to Thor's injuries or his just being tired from battling the others. And tonight Thor wanted nothing more than to bury himself in his brother, to celebrate their last night in the tent. Thor was entering his brother when there was a gasp from someone behind them, in an instant Volstagg, one of the Warriors Three, was frozen in place, a look of surprise still etched on his face. Loki waved his hand and ropes appeared out of thin air to bind and gag Volstagg before he waved his hand again and he was unfrozen as Loki went invisible. Thor pulled a sheet around himself before beginning to talk to Volstagg who could only listen at this point.

"I am going to untie you but I must have your word that you will not say a word about what you have seen this night." said Thor, he waited for a nod from Volstagg before untying him.

"I knew something was going on between you and your brother, he has bewitched you! You are under his spell! We all know he has powerful magic, and now he has used it to seduce you." said Volstagg in a frantic whisper.

Loki at this point re-appeared now dressed. "You do not know what you are saying Volstagg. You have scarcely spoken a word to me in all of my 19 years, and you dare accuse me of seducing my brother? Using magic on one I hold so dear?" His hand clasped Thor's.

"I know how this looks, but we are in love, we only care for each other, please do not tell our father, he-no one would understand. I know he is my brother..." he stopped when he saw Volstagg look away when he said the word 'brother'. "What? What are you not telling us?" Thor demanded of him.

Volstagg shook his head, "Nothing. Just that you are not true brothers."

"You are a liar! How dare you speak such treason to the princes of Asgard?"

"Haven't you ever wondered why you do not resemble Thor? Why you are so powerful with magic? Why you do not possess the strength of a warrior, like him?" Volstagg did not want to be the one to tell them this, but he could see the love for Thor in Loki's eyes, and he realized that this was real and not sorcery.

"I take after our mother?" said Loki, now skeptically.

"No, Loki." sighed Volstagg. "I should not be the one to tell this to you."

"Tell me!" Loki's heart sank.

"You are Loki." said Thor, grasping his hand, he was afraid of what Volstagg might say.

"You are not Asir, Loki. You are the son of a king, but not Odin, you were not born in Asgard."

"You know not what you say, Volstagg" Thor was getting angry with his friend's lies.

"When your father went to Jotunheim and brought back the casket, everyone had been killed. He THOUGHT everyone had been killed. He found you in the rubble. You were just an infant, so small for a frost giant, you would have died. You are-were Laufey's son. Odin brought you home and raised you as his own." Volstagg regretted telling this secret, he did not know how Loki or Thor would react.

At first Loki just had a pained look on his face, he buried his face in Thor's chest and began to sob. Thor tried to console him, he cried for a few moments and all of a sudden stopped. He pulled away from Thor, a smile on his tear-stained face. Thor and Volstagg were a bit confused.

"I am not your true brother, Thor...we are not true brothers! We need not be ashamed anymore, we need not hide our love." he kissed Thor full on the lips and disappeared.

Volstagg promised to tell no one of what he had seen, if they would tell no one who had told them of Loki's true parentage. He was happy for them, he just hoped that Loki was telling the truth about his love for Thor.

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for your awesome reviews, Chapter 4 is on it's way.

Thor arrived back at the palace. Loki's arms were around him as soon as he entered his chambers to bathe and change into fresh clothes. Loki's lips found his in a mad passion and Thor was stripped as fast as deft fingers could get his clothes off. Thor broke free for a moment to step back and admire his "brother" who was still wrapped in a sheet. His eyes found nothing different about Loki, nothing of the exterior was amiss except for an unfamiliar gleam in his eyes. He was the same Loki he had always known, but somehow he knew he had changed.

Loki grabbed him and brought him close again, planting kisses on his lips and closing the gap between their bodies. Loki's scent drove him to insanity, he was hard and wanted every inch of Loki right that second. At once Loki was flung down onto the bed, his sheet that was partially covering his nakedness was stripped away revealing his perfect body. Thor kissed him once more, hard, sloppy, full of lust. He left a trail of wet hot kisses down Loki's neck and his chest, twisting nipples and biting flesh as he went lower. Lips moved on Loki's stomach and all he could do was smile and grab at Thor's hair as he went lower. Thor reached his destination and was rewarded with a catch in Loki's breath and a moan that he could not contain. Thor bit his inner thigh and another moan escaped his lover's lips as he took Loki's length into his mouth. Loki tapped him on the head a few minutes later and handed him the jar of oil that was almost completely gone now. Thor took it and oiled his fingers. Loki guided his fingers into his hole and Thor found his hard cock again with his mouth as he thrust hard and fast with his fingers.

After a few moments he looked up at Loki who was looking down at him with tears in his eyes and he stopped.

"Is this not what you wanted?" Thor asked, he was worried at Loki's sudden burst of emotion.

"You still want me even after...you still love me?" Loki's tears now spilled down his cheeks.

"I love you, you know that." Thor did not understand.

"You just found out that I am Jotun and you still want to be with me? That does not have any bearing on your feelings for me?" Loki choked on his tears.

"Loki, when you were my brother, I felt that I must hide my love for you behind chamber doors, it had to be kept a secret. Now that you are not my blood I can show my love to you anywhere I please, we can be in love outside these four walls. Everyone can know how much I love you, they will see how happy you make me. I love you, Loki, no matter what you are, it's who you are that matters. You are mine forever. Do not think I would have you any other way than exactly the way you are. I wouldn't change one thing about you." Thor pulled Loki to him and kissed his neck.

Loki sighed in relief and wrapped his arms around Thor.

"I love you, too." He wished they could stay like this forever.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Odin called his sons to him as soon as he had heard Thor had arrived back at the palace. Loki had requested an audience for himself and Thor for that afternoon. The only person Thor was afraid of angering was his father.

He and Loki arrived in Odin's throne room together, Loki took Thor's hand and reassured him everything would be alright.

Odin was seated on his throne with Frigga by his side. Frigga greeted her sons warmly with embraces and kind words. She missed Thor when he was away. And she never knew where Loki disappeared to anymore, she was lucky to lay eyes on him more than once a week. She thought he was reading or translating some new book he had found in the library and did not disturb him, he liked his life to be private.

"You have requested an audience with your own father, Loki? You know I will see you or Thor if ever you have need of me. No need to be formal, my sons." said Odin, dismissing all who were in the room but his wife and sons with a wave of a wrinkled hand.

"Father, or shall I just call you Odin? Seeing as I am not your true son by blood. I did always wonder why I was not more like Thor. Why I wasn't trained like Thor for battle, like a true prince of Asgard, and heir to the throne. It all makes sense now. I am not Loki Odinson. No. I am Loki Laufeyson, a frost giant, a Jotun. Born of your mortal enemy, Laufey, and raised to despise my own true race. Did anyone protest you adopting a Jotun as second heir to the throne of Asgard, and also first heir to the throne of Jotunheim?" Loki's hands started to turn blue, strange markings marring his once perfect pale Aesir skin, his eyes went from green to an eerie red. "Look at me father, your son, the frost giant!" said Loki with contempt, his anger getting the best of him.

Even Loki was surprised at this sudden shift in his appearance, but it was a nice effect, showing his anger at the Allfather.

Thor's breath caught in his throat, he had not been expecting this of Loki, but even with his blue exterior Thor thought him beautiful. He stood there for moral support while Loki let out his feelings to Odin, denouncing his name. He dared not touch his skin, as much as he wanted to take his hand and make everything alright, he knew he would get a nasty frost bite if he did.

Odin looked pained, he was starting to look frail. The Allfather stood for a moment, a thoughtful light in his face before he spoke carefully.

"I love you both equally, Loki. I could give you an Aesir exterior, and raise you as my son, but I could not fully change your bloodline. I wish you were truly my son, I could not have wished for better sons than the ones I have in front of me. I am so proud of your magic, I know you practice hard and learn as much as you can. I also know you felt left out when Thor started training as a warrior, but your magic makes you who you are, it is a Jotun trait and I would never change that. You are highly spoken of, the most talented young sorcerer in Asgard as well as most of the other realms, you will surpass them I am sure in the next few years. I am also proud of Thor for being one of the best warriors Asgard has ever seen, his strength is legendary. You two, as different as you are in appearance and in skill, both make me the proudest father in all of the nine realms." Odin stepped down from the throne to embrace his sons, Loki turned back to his Aesir aesthetic, no longer angry, but apologetic for his reaction to the news of his true origin, and received his embrace with tears in his eyes.

"Why did I not know of this sooner? Why did I have to hear it from someone else?" asked Loki.

"I didn't want you to ever feel inferior to your brother, I figured the less you knew about your true origin, the less likely you would be to ever want to leave us." Odin's words were hitting their mark in Loki's heart.

"I could never feel inferior to Thor, father, I love him. I could never leave Asgard." said Loki looking to Thor.

"You have always loved your brother." said Odin "You were always inseparable, even with your own rooms you insisted on sleeping in the same bed. I remember you talking for hours before falling asleep. You two drove us mad with your constant giggles in the middle of the night!" the Allfather laughed heartily in remembrance of his sons in childhood.

"That is still true of us." Loki laughed.

Odin and Frigga shared a puzzled look.

Thor turned to Frigga, he hesitated, knowing that what he needed to say could devastate their dear mother.

"Mother, I lied to you before I left. I am in love." Thor looked into her eyes.

"I must meet her right away!" Frigga's glee was apparent.

Thor took Loki's still trembling hand and kissed it sweetly, then kissed his tear-stained cheek.

Frigga looked between Thor and Loki, she had a pained look in her eyes, but said nothing.

"WHAT?" was Odin's answer.

Thor trembled but stepped in front of Loki to protect him from anything Odin might do to him.

"You cannot deny us our love, we are not true brothers." said Thor.

It felt good that this was out in the open now, he was imagining he and Loki being able to quit only being able to show their love for each other behind their chamber doors. He wanted to show his love for Loki to everyone, he was proud to belong to Loki. He held Loki close to his side now.

"What spell have you cast on Thor, Loki? What is you're game? Are you trying to show how powerful your magic is, that you can make even the Golden Prince of Asgard to fall in love with the boy he grew up with as a brother? ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE A MOCKERY OF ME?" Odin spat the words at Loki, he was red with anger.

"No, these are our true feelings, we are in love. We have been in love behind closed doors, scared that someone would find out, we felt that what we are is wrong. But what we have is beautiful, no one can deny our love is pure." said Thor now starting to get quite angry.

"Pure? What does Loki know of pure? He's a liar, a trickster, he will do anything for power, like a true Jotun! I should have known something like this would happen. He has always had the upper hand on you!" Odin's words cut deep.

Dark clouds were starting to form above the palace, emitting a low rumble, and escalating into huge peals of thunder, lightning was hitting the ground outside of the palace walls leaving craters in the earth, striking down trees.

Loki was trembling now as Odin pointed at him, there was a flash of light, and he was gone in an instant.

Thor realized that Loki was gone when his mother gasped and clutched Thor to herself. Thor wrenched himself free, tears were streaming down his face now, he was so angry at Odin tears were streaming down his face now.

"WHERE DID YOU SEND HIM FATHER?" thundered Thor.

"You shall never see him again! You cannot love him in that way! He was your brother, Thor! How could you think that your actions were right? Did he use a spell on you? You have failed me and Asgard! I am ashamed to call you my son! I should banish you too! Get out of my sight!" shouted Odin.

Thor left, he went to his chambers. Mjolnir made short work of almost everything in his chambers now. He smashed everything but the bed, he couldn't destroy something he and Loki had shared so fondly. His tears came in choking sobs now and he sat on the bed in the midst of the ruins of his chambers. This bed he shared with Loki would forever be empty. His heart felt empty. He never noticed just how empty this room was before Loki had filled it with his presence. He grabbed up the sheet Loki had worn in the tent, it had been haphazardly flung onto the bed when Loki had used his spells to reappear in his chambers-their chambers-and had gotten dressed. He laid down on the bed and clutched the sheet sobbing into it now, he let his anger and sadness take over. Loki's scent was faint on the sheet, but still there mixed with his own. All he wanted was his beloved in his bed, in his arms.

Then there were hands on him, holding him, consoling him, it was his mother Frigga. He sobbed harder.

He finally sat up and regained his composure.

"Mother, if you love Loki please tell me where father sent him, I must find him at once." he implored of her.

"I cannot defy your father by being the one to tell you, but Heimdall will know where he is." she was hoping Thor would find and bring Loki back. "Your father took his memory away. He will not know you, Thor, he will have no memory of you or Asgard."

He stood up and left the room, Frigga had no idea what he would do next, but he had left Mjolnir by the bed.

Heimdall was waiting for Thor, he knew he was coming. Thor was ready, he needed Loki. Heimdall sank his sword into the Bifrost, it was spinning, and then Thor was flying, then free falling, no, plummeting to earth. He didn't know which way was up.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Loki found himself on the ground in the middle of a crater, he didn't seem to be hurt, just a bit dusty. He got up and started walking toward the only light he could see. He was trying to remember who he was, where he had come from. He had no recollection of anything. He looked down at what he was wearing. A black blazer, a black button-up and an emerald green tie, black slacks and black boots. He ran his fingers through his hair. What was this place?

There was a road, he decided to follow it to the light. He wasn't walking long before a car pulled over and the 2 girls inside offered him a ride. He graciously accepted. They would drop him off in town on their way through.

"I thank you very much, m'ladies." said Loki with a nod when they dropped him off at a gas station in town.

"You're welcome, but what's your name? Can my friend call you sometime? She thinks you're hot!" asked one of the girls before busting out laughing.

The other girl punched the first girl in the arm "OMG I can't believe you said that!" she screamed at the first girl as they sped out of the parking lot.

Loki thought for a moment, he had no recollection of a name, where he came from, where he was going. He didn't know anything. Loki was now on his own. He searched his pockets, he had a wallet with a twenty dollar bill, a credit card with the name William Bennett on it, and ID with the same name and his picture on it inside. He didn't remember that name. In his other pocket a set of four keys, he placed them back in his pocket.

He saw a twenty-four hour supermarket across the street and decided to find something to eat. His stomach was growling now and he was very thirsty. Walking into the supermarket the doors opened on their own, he thought it must be magic. He walked the aisles aimlessly, he didn't know what any of it was. He passed the dairy section and grabbed a six-pack of chocolate pudding and deposited it into the basket. He didn't know what it was but it just looked good. He wandered around, looking at everything this store had to offer before making his way back to the front. He plopped his pudding and a bottle of water onto the counter.

"Cash or credit, sir? Would you like a bag?" The cashier looked at him, waiting for his reply.

"Here, I have no idea what I am looking for." Loki fished his wallet out of his pocket and handed it to her.

She opened it and found the twenty and placed the change into it before handing it back. She looked sideways at him as if he had two heads.

"Have a good night, sir." she said before the doors opened again to the outside and he wandered out.

He sat down on a bench across the street from the market. He opened his wallet and took out the ID card that was inside.

"William Bennett...why do I not recognize that name?" he said aloud to the still night air.

He looked and saw that there was an address for an apartment on it. He must live there. He went back into the supermarket to ask the cashier for directions.

"Would you happen to know where I could find this address?" he handed her the card and she kept looking between it and him.

"This is your address...you don't know where it is?" she said dryly, cracking her gum for emphasis on her attitude.

"Well...no...but yes...I think it is my address...it is printed on my identification card, that is my picture..." Loki was confused and still had no recollection of himself or this town.

"Hold on a moment." she said and wandered off, she came back with a man in a short-sleeve button-down and a red tie, his name tag said 'Hank - Night Manager' on it.

"How can I help you, sir? Wendy says that you are asking her where your apartment is, are you lost?" he drawled.

"I am lost, yes. I just arrived in town, and I have not seen my apartment yet." Loki hoped this lie would work.

"Oh ok. You do have an accent, I didn't think you were from around here." said Hank with a half laugh.

"No, I am not. I have not been here before." Loki was tired now, he just wanted to find this residence and a place to sleep, the rest could wait until morning.

"Well this address is four blocks east and two blocks south of here. Just look for Hamilton Lane and turn right." he pointed to the east.

"Thank you kindly, Hank." Loki walked out of the magical doors again and headed in the direction of 'home'.

It wasn't a long walk, but he had already been tired. He looked up at the apartment building as he approached it, it wasn't bad looking, but somehow he knew this was a step down from where he had come from. He found his apartment on the second floor and fumbled with the keys until he found the one that fit the deadbolt.

Once inside he tried to find a light source, a candle maybe, he bumped into a wall and hit a switch in the dark that suddenly turned on a kitchen light. Stainless steel appliances greeted him with a reflection from the light above. He set his bag with the pudding in it on top of the marble kitchen island, found a spoon in a drawer, and stared at the room as he ate one of the six cups. He found the refrigerator and put the rest into it. the refrigerator was empty except for the pudding.

"Mental note: Pudding is delicious." he said to himself.

This was his home now, no matter how alien it was to him.

He jumped as a clock in he hall chimed twice, signaling that it was two o'clock in the morning. He felt along the walls for switches as he toured the rest of his new home in the dark. He had so many things he didn't know how to use; a television, an X-box, a blender, a telephone, a stove...He needed someone to show him how to use these things.

He went upstairs and found a large bedroom with a four-poster bed, two night tables, and a wardrobe full of clothes that looked to be a good fit for him. A bathroom was adjoined to the bedroom with a large claw-foot tub in the corner.

Loki looked back at the bed, it looked comfortable, inviting. He stripped and crawled under the covers, he laid there alone in the dark knowing there was something missing.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Thor was dazed when he woke up in a crater, his whole body hurt. He pulled himself up and looked around. There was a crater a few yards away with footprints leading to the road. He followed them and they stopped at some tire tracks in the dust. He decided to walk toward the light in the distance. The sun was about to come up and he knew it would soon get dreadfully hot.

He passed a sign that said: Welcome to Cassidy, Nevada - Population 4,019.

The town must be called Cassidy. He passed the gas station and the supermarket, the diner, the sheriff station. He had no idea where to look first.

He saw a man walking down the sidewalk toward him.

"Sir, I have lost my brother, where should I inquire about his location?" he asked.

The man just looked at him and then side-stepped him with no answer.

Thor looked down and realized he was still in his full armor. He looked ridiculous in this small town on Midgard. He was not going to get any answers looking like this.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Loki woke slowly from a dream, a very explicit dream. There was a tall handsome blonde he called Thor in his dream, he had deep blue eyes, and had called him Loki. He made love to him over and over, told him how much he was loved, held him, caressed him, it was so real. So real that he had awoken still feeling lips on his, with an erection. He felt even more alone upon waking than he had trying to get to sleep. In his dream he had felt so loved, he wanted to go back to sleep to find that love again, but he needed to get up and try to figure out who he was.

He sat up slowly, in no hurry to leave the warmth of the bed. He got up without making the bed, and made his way to the bathroom. He filled the tub with warm water and sank into it. He was trying to hold onto the dream but it was quickly leaving him. He knew it had something to do with who he truly was. The piercing blue eyes were all that he could remember of the dream now.

He soaped up and rinsed off, drained the tub, and toweled off with a fluffy towel he found in the cabinet. He walked downstairs in his towel and grabbed a pudding from the fridge. He looked around to try to find anything to help him remember. He found a folded piece of paper stuck to the fridge with a magnet, he hadn't seen it the night before. He opened it up and read it:

11569 Main Street

Monday 11am Interview

He had an interview for what, he wondered. He looked at the clock in the hall. It was half past 9 in the morning. He needed to get dressed and ask someone for directions to this address.

He took the stairs two at a time and made his way to the wardrobe across from the unmade bed. He rummaged through suits and jackets until he found one he liked. An Italian made fitted suit. It fit him like a glove. He ran his hands through his hair to tame it. He gave himself a smile in the mirror but it wasn't convincing. He looked sharp, but there was something missing from his demeanor, even though he really didn't know what his demeanor was at this moment.

He grabbed his keys, wallet, and the paper, and walked out the door.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Thor hadn't hurled himself through time and space to give up because he was getting some strange looks from Midgardians. By now all of Cassidy was talking about the 'guy in the full armor'. He decided he needed to get some Midgardian clothing so that he could fit in. He had been in such haste that he had forgotten to bring any currency of this land with him, all that mattered at the time was finding Loki and bringing him home safe to Asgard. He was furious at Odin, if he had to walk this realm for centuries to find his beloved, then by the Norns he would.

"Can I help you?" asked a voice behind him.

"Yes, I am looking for my brother." he spun around and looked down at the woman who had spoken to him.

She was flanked by her friend who was a bit younger, shorter, and he could tell she had more sass.

"What's he look like?" asked her friend.

"A bit taller than my shoulders, black hair, green eyes, flawless skin. He may or may not answer to Loki." said Thor.

"May or may not answer to Loki?" asked the first woman.

"Yes, I am not sure how much of his memory remains intact at this time. He was thrown from our realm by our-my father." he spat the last words, there was a loud clap of thunder in the distance, the wind had picked up.

"Oh ok. Do you know that you are standing in the middle of Main Street, in broad daylight, in the middle of summer, in the desert...in full armor?" the sassy younger one asked with sarcasm that went over Thor's head.

"No, I didn't know what this street was called. But now I know why it is so hot." he said back very matter-of-fact.

"We will try our best to help you find your brother...what was it you said your name was?" the first woman asked politely.

"Oh my god, no...no no no...Jane!" the other girl whispered to the side.

"It's Thor, nice to meet you Jane." he said taking her hand and planting a kiss on the back of it "And you are...?" he said looking to the younger girl.

"Darcy..." she said through her teeth as she rolled her eyes.

"It's a pleasure, Darcy." he dipped into a low bow over her hand as he kissed the back of it as he had Jane's.

"Pleasure's all mine..." she said trying to hide a blush, "I'm warning you, though, I have a taser. Don't make me use it."

They got into Jane's van and rode back to her lab. She would call all of the hospitals and sheriff stations in the town and the surrounding area to inquire about a Loki that may be there.

Thor paced back and forth, his armor glinting in the afternoon sun coming through the windows. Darcy was keeping an eye on him to make sure he did not touch anything of importance. She noticed Jane staring at him every once in a while when he wasn't looking. He was a very handsome guy, weird but handsome.

Jane disappeared into the other room and came out with a stack of men's clothes.

"Thor, was it? I found some clothes you might fit into...my ex was about the same height and build as you. Maybe we could send your armor to the dry cleaner's?" Jane knew he had to be dying in this desert heat, he had to be wearing at least thirty pounds of clothing.

"Thank you, Jane. I did not dress for Midgard, I did not know what your weather was like here in this realm." he said cordially, accepting the clothing and looking about for a place to change into the new attire.

"Midgard...Oh! The bathroom is over there, feel free to shower, there's towels in the cabinet." she said pointing to a door off to the side of the lab.

"You are most kind." he bowed and made for the shower.

Once the door was closed Darcy took a deep breath and let it out.

"What are we doing? How are we supposed to help...that?" she hissed in a low voice.

"Hello, it's called doing a good deed. Someone needs to help the poor guy, did you see his face? He is so upset over his brother being lost." Jane was compassionate, her heart went out to those she thought were in need, especially if she thought she could be of help.

"I did see his face, and the rest of him ain't bad either." Darcy didn't know how to keep things to herself.

"I didn't notice..." Jane kept making a list of phone numbers of places that Loki might be.

"Uh-huh..." Darcy knew better, Jane saw it in her eyes.

They went on about their business until Thor came back out of the bathroom shirtless. The girls just stared in awe for a moment.

"Jane? How do I put this garment on?" he was fumbling with the t-shirt she had given him.

She went over to him and helped him to put it on over his head like a two-year old, glancing at his ripped physique, her eyes got wide and she looked away. The shirt was very form fitting, every muscle defined by the tight fabric, every move he made was accentuated in just the right way.

"Here is a list of places your brother might be, call each number and ask if they have someone there that fits his description." Jane handed him the page she had been writing on and the cordless phone.

"What is this?" Thor asked taking the phone and looking it over.

"It's a te-le-phone." Darcy accentuated each syllable.

"What does it do?" Thor was turning it over in his hand and punching buttons.

"Oh my gosh...give it to me." Darcy was over him already.

"Darcy, be nice. He's our guest, and he's upset." Jane scolded her.

Thor sat in silence, he felt helpless, hopeless, and homesick. He missed Loki, he hoped he could find him, and help him to regain his memory. Darcy thought he was stupid, but he just was not accustomed to all of this technology they had on Midgard. Everything in Asgard was done with magic, they were demigods after all.

Jane and Darcy called all of the places on the list and then some, to no avail. No one matched Loki's description. Thor was in utter despair. His heart was breaking more with every call the girls made. They moved to the roof to watch the sunset, but all Thor could think of was how the colors of it paled in comparison to the colors in Loki's eyes. They ate in silence, Thor picking at his 'cheeseburger' as they called it, it came from somewhere called 'McDonald's'. It was quite delicious but he wasn't in the mood to eat.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Loki found the address with the help of Hank at the supermarket again. This time the address was directly across the street from the supermarket. He had never had to find an address before, he didn't know where to begin. He walked across the street and into the shop. It was a magic shop filled with tricks. The man behind the counter wore a tuxedo and a cape that had seen better days. Loki looked around before going to the counter to greet the man.

"You must be William, I'm George. I have heard a lot about you from your father." said the man, his hand outstretched to shake Loki's.

"Yes, my father?" Loki was confused.

"Yes, I have known him for many years. He told me this morning you'd be coming to see me about a job."

Loki was even more confused. He had a father, maybe he had some answers.

"Where is my father? Can I speak with him?" asked Loki.

"He isn't here, he left hours ago, said he was going somewhere called Asgard. I assumed he had spoken to you. Said you were quite the magician, said you wouldn't need props. I told him to tell you to come on by for an interview."

"Oh, well, yes, I am alright with magic." Loki recalled knowing a few tricks, he brought them to mind now.

He made flowers appear out of thin air and made them levitate above the counter with the flick of his wrist. He contained his astonishment, he didn't know where he had learned that. He made himself and the flowers disappear and reappear on the other side of the room, didn't know he could do that either. Spells were coming to him now freely and he vanished a box of playing cards and made them to reappear in the man's pocket, he turned a stuffed rabbit into a real rabbit that hopped around the shop for a few minutes before returning it to it's previous state. The man was starry eyed at Loki and kept asking him to reveal his secrets.

"Can you come back in an hour? I need to make some calls, William. You're going to be a star!" George was overjoyed.

"Sure, I don't know what you mean by a star." Loki as always was confused.

"You're going to be the biggest magic show on the Vegas strip! We're-I mean YOU'RE going to be rich beyond your wildest dreams!" he said emphatically, with large arm gestures.

"Go get some lunch, heres a few bucks, there's a diner across the street, and come back in an hour." George said, his fingers were already doing the walking in the yellow pages.

"Thank you, sir." Loki said with a small bow.

He made his way to the diner, he was getting hungry, it was well past noon. He slid into a booth and looked around. A waitress with curly red hair came to greet him and take his order.

"Honey, are you ready to order? Can I get you something to drink?" she said as she pulled out a pad and pen.

"Uh...I am not really sure what to order. I have never been here before." he said.

"The special today is pastrami on rye with onion rings or fries."

"Ok, I'll take that."

"Onion rings or fries?" she asked.

"You choose." he said with a shrug.

"Onion rings it is. you want something to drink?"

He looked around and saw that everyone was drinking fizzy looking drinks with ice in them.

"Whatever they are having." he said, he was just trying to fit in.

"Coke..." she said, walking away.

He sighed, putting his head in his hands, he closed his eyes and immediately the dream from the night before sprang into his memory. He was very turned on by this 'Thor' person, whoever he was.

His lunch came and he ate, everything was so delicious, especially the Coke. He ate and paid. He walked back across the street to the magic shop.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"I need sustenance." Thor bellowed a bit after noon.

"Hold on, we'll go get something to eat in a few minutes. Let me call one more place." Jane called to him.

"She's never hungry, Thor, I have to make her eat. If it wasn't for me being here she would starve." Darcy said starting to brush his golden mane of hair.

"What are you doing to me? I am not a female, why are you grooming me?" he winced as she ripped the snarls from his hair.

"You have knots on knots, it's either this or we cut it." she was acting like his mother.

"Let me see that." he said taking the brush from her and working the knots out himself.

Finally he found what Darcy called a 'hair tie' and tied his own hair back as he had seen Darcy and Jane do. This was actually much cooler, why did he not do this in Asgard?

"Come on children, let's go get Thor some 'sustenance' before he starves." Jane grabbed her keys and headed for the van.

They piled in and made their way to the diner on Main Street.

They ordered coffee and pancakes.

"This drink, I like it." he mused about the coffee, then without warning he smashed the cup on the floor, "Another!" he yelled.

"What was that for? You could just ask for a refill..." Jane was wondering what kind of place Thor came from, he was so brash...and strange.

"I just did." said Thor, the smile now gone from his face.

"No more smashing ok?"

"As you wish, Jane Foster." he said and continued shoving pancakes into his mouth.

"How can you even still be hungry? You ate a whole box of Pop Tarts before we left..." Darcy said as she watched him eat another plate of pancakes.

"So, Thor, where are you from...really?" Jane asked, she knew the answer was going to be somewhere absurd.

"Asgard, it is not in this realm." He said forking another piece of pancake into his mouth.

"What are you talking about...realm..." she asked.

"It is not somewhere you can get to by Midgardian transportation, only the Bifrost can get you there, that is what brought me here." so non-nonchalant.

"Uh-huh. Midgard? What is that? So you're not from this planet and your spaceship's name is Bifrost?" Darcy's sarcasm was starting to annoy Jane.

"Shut up Marcy. He does not have a spaceship..." Jane was interested in what Thor was saying.

"Midgard is here, this realm we are in right now. You know it as Earth." he said with his mouth full.

Jane had been trying to prove that there was truly life on other planets, that there really was life beyond their solar system. Her whole life was dedicated to finding the truth. The fact that Thor had been wearing full armor in the middle of Main Street when she had met him made her think that there really may be some truth behind what he was saying about his travel to other realms.

"I will never understand this." Darcy said and she got up from the table to fix her makeup in the restroom.

"I came to find my brother and take him back to Asgard. I need to prove to my father that he never put any kind of spell on me, and convince him to let Loki come home. I just need him to come home." he stopped eating and looked like he was possibly on the verge of tears.

"We will find your brother. I promise." she put a hand on his arm to comfort him.

"It's all my fault he got banished. I should have never told mother the truth." he was crying now.

Jane looked at the large man across the table from her, he was totally losing it in the middle of the diner, people were starting to stare.

"Maybe we should go to the sheriff station and get help to find him." she offered.

"I'll do anything. I just want him back."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Loki got back to the magic shop exactly one hour after leaving. There were two men standing at the counter now conversing with George in hushed tones.

He approached them and they stopped talking.

"William! We were just talking about you! This is Sid and Harris, my attorneys slash managers. They help me get gigs for birthday parties and such. I was just telling them about what you showed me earlier." he said very enthusiastically.

"Oh, I see. Would you like for me to show them as well?" he asked with his hands in his pockets.

"Oh yes! Please do!" he said.

Loki performed the same magic for the two men who applauded when he was finished.

"That is just the beginning. I can do anything you like." he said coolly.

"We know a guy who is looking for the biggest and best magic and illusion acts out in Vegas. You are exactly the kind of act he looks for." said Sid

"By the end of this week, you're going to see your name in lights I can guarantee. David Copperfield will be opening for YOU." Harris added.

"I am so glad you came in today! Please come in tomorrow at ten AM and we will get measurements for your tux. If you need anything call me." George handed him a business card that he produced out of nowhere.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Loki went home to his empty apartment. He walked in and sat down on the couch in the dark. He just sat for a while. He closed his eyes and all he saw was the blonde man from his dream. He wished he knew who he was, just thinking of him made him feel loved, needed even. He had to find out who this 'Thor' was.

He got up and grabbed his keys and wallet and sprinted out the door and back to Main Street where he had seen a small book store on his way home. He found it and a little bell rang upon opening the door. An elderly man came from the back of the store carrying a small stack of books.

"I am sorry to come so late, sir, but by chance do you have any books containing anyone named 'Thor'?" he asked, this was just a hunch.

"Sure, down the second aisle somewhere in the middle you'll find a section labeled 'Mythology', if we have it it will be in that section." Loki didn't hear anything after 'Mythology', he was already down the aisle.

He found it and browsed the titles that were in alphabetical order. Thor! He found 4 books pertaining to Thor and Norse mythology.

He plopped them on the counter and handed the man his credit card.

Once out of the store he sprinted back to his apartment, plopped on the couch, turned on the lamp and started browsing the books for information.

He found that Thor was the Norse god of thunder, Loki was the god of mischief. The two were brothers, well, adopted brothers. He seemed to be reading something maybe he had read before, it seemed so familiar, but he couldn't wrap his mind around it. The first three books seemed to just confuse him more than he already was. The fourth book was written for children, it had pictures. There was a rainbow bridge and something called a Bifrost. He came to a rendering of what Thor was thought to look like and even though it was an illustration, it looked like the man in his dreams. A few more pages in was an illustration of Loki...it was almost like looking into a mirror. Loki had black shoulder-length hair, green eyes, was wearing green and black...the color of his own wardrobe.

He dismissed it as having read this book before, possibly as a child, his subconscious was playing tricks on him. He decided to take a hot bath and go to bed, he was tired in every possible way.

He stepped out of the bath and wiped a the mirror with his towel. He hadn't noticed the bite mark on his shoulder until now. Where did that come from? He touched it and instantly got a flashback of the blonde man from his dream biting him in a moment of passion. He was instantly hard. He noticed what looked like a trail of scratch marks on his side. When he touched them he had another thrilling flashback to the man taking him from behind and in the heat of the moment dragging his fingernails along his side, he bit his lip, he felt it as if it was happening in the present. Another bite-shaped bruise was on his inner thigh, he caressed it and the feeling was so intense, as was this flashback, of the man's mouth on his erection, taking his whole length in and out of it until he thought he would come, and then the man bit his inner thigh just hard enough to send him over the edge.

He really did come at that thought. The orgasm hit him with such force he had to steady himself with his hand on the sink. He hadn't even touched his erection, the orgasm came from his thoughts alone. He was finally able to make his way to the bed, leaving his towel on the floor. He laid there wondering what had just happened, it was too intense to just be from his dreams, and how could he explain the bruises and scratches? Did he have a lover somewhere? Where was he? He fell asleep during this merry-go-round of thoughts, he hoped that he would find answers in the morning.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Jane told Darcy to go back to the lab, she had gotten on her last nerve. Jane and Thor went down the street to the sheriff station to make a missing persons report. The woman at the front desk sent them to a detective in the missing persons department. He showed them a book of current inmates from the area, none were Loki. He took Loki's description and made a report. That was all he could do, they would have to take matters into their own hands.

They headed back to the lab. Jane switched on the news to see if maybe there would be a story on someone with amnesia or something being found. Thor watched the television like a hawk, he thought any moment he might see Loki on the screen.

Jane decided this was something Thor could do on his own and she could get back to work for a little while at least.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The next morning Loki awoke, his dream had come back. This time it lingered a little bit longer, especially if he felt the bruises and scratches he had located the night before. He could feel the love that was in those dreams so intensely it made him sad. He found himself crying softly into his pillow, he just wanted to know who he was. Was he loved by someone? Where were they?

He got up and dressed again in one of the many suits he had, all of the ties in his wardrobe were green. He looked like a million dollars when he walked past the mirror by the front door, he paused and touched where he knew the bite mark on his shoulder to be under the layers of clothing. It was a dull ache, but it made him feel loved, he needed that feeling.

When he made it to the magic shop, George, who was about to call a tailor in to measure Loki for his tux, looked him up and down and whistled.

"This is what you should wear, you don't need to be fitted for a tux, you look like a true magician!" George pounded him on the back and Loki almost lost his balance.

Sid and Harris came through the door with a taller man wearing a very finely tailored pinstripe suit with gleaming wingtips and several gold rings on his fingers. He looked like money.

"William, this is Mr. Everett. He is the talent scout from Las Vegas, he wants to see your magic act." said Sid nervously.

"It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Everett." Loki held out his hand to shake the man's.

"Just show me what you got, son, no need to kiss ass." he didn't offer his hand.

Loki performed the magic for him and he had quite a poker face, until he made the stuffed rabbit come to life and handed it to Mr. Everett.

"How the hell did you do that?" he petted the rabbit until Loki waved his hand and it turned back into a stuffed one.

"I couldn't begin to tell you, sir." he said, and it was true, he had no idea.

"You will have an act in Vegas, mark my words. What is your name?" he finally shook Loki's hand.

"Um, William Bennett." Loki said.

"That's too plain, you need a name that says 'world famous magician'." Mr. Everett looked to be in deep thought.

"How about Loki? It's a nickname, it's the name of the Norse god of mischief, known for his skills in magic." he offered.

"Yes! Just Loki. No last name, like Cher or Prince. Just Loki." the man's eyes lit up.

"Alright then. Loki it is." for some reason Loki fit better than William Bennett.

"I am going to make some calls, get you on some talk shows, the evening news..." he withdrew a cell phone from an inner pocket in his suit and started dialing as he turned to walk outside to smoke a cigarette, the first of many.

"Loki. Just Loki." Loki mused aloud.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Thor had fallen asleep watching the news again, he had watched for two days while the only thing that wasn't looped video was the weather and a few breaking news updates that eventually got looped in. On the second day he had driven Jane and Darcy out of the house for a girl's night with his constant news updates. When they had returned he was fast asleep mumbling about the weather in Nevada being so different than in Asgard. They dared not wake him.

In the morning he woke with a start, he smelled bacon and toast...and coffee. He wandered to the kitchen and plopped down at the table as a plate of bacon and eggs and toast was set in front of him as well as a large mug of black coffee and the sugar bowl. The small television in the kitchen was on and Jane was half watching a morning show while washing the pan she had cooked in. All of a sudden Thor spit coffee across the table, drenching Darcy in a very warm shower of java. Darcy screamed obscenities at Thor but he didn't hear, he jumped up from the table and shoved his face right in front of the television screen.

"LOKI! THAT'S LOKI! HOW DO I GET HIM OUT OF THIS WRETCHED BOX?" he picked up the television and shook it, ripping the cord from the wall and Loki was gone.

They ran into the living room and flicked it on and turned the channel to the right one.

"Loki, tell us how long you have been a magician." said an interviewer named Kelly Ripa.

"I don't really know, I think I was born a magician, I just seemed to be able to do it for as long as I can remember." said Loki.

"Wow, so you're a natural. That is amazing. After the break we're going to see some of Loki's act that is opening this weekend at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, go to our website to find out about getting tickets." Kelly said enthusiastically into the camera before cutting to commercial.

Jane and Darcy realized that Thor was now sobbing into a throw pillow.

"My brother is in that box. How will I ever get him back now?" he said with tears streaming down his face.

"Oh brother..." said Darcy, she put her hands up and left the room.

"Thor, he isn't in the television...he's on a set in a television studio in New York. We'll find a way to get you back to him." Jane rubbed his back, his muscles were insane.

Darcy returned a few minutes later with a huge smile on her face.

"Who has two thumbs and three front row tickets for Loki's first show at the Bellagio tomorrow night?" she proceeded to point her thumbs at herself.

"How did you do that?" Jane asked in shock.

"I have an uncle who happens to be a talent scout." Darcy was non-nonchalant

"How did I not know this?" Jane's pitch went up an octave.

"You never asked." Darcy went to go pack.

The commercials were over and Loki was back on the screen doing a few small but impossible tricks. Thor hadn't heard a word of Darcy and Jane's conversation, Loki looked the same but so different. His smile was a facade for the cameras, he looked like a man defeated, but playing the part of the happy magician. Thor's heart broke.

We can stay at the Bellagio on Uncle Everett's dime tonight and tomorrow night, he's taking us to dinner tonight. Start packing." Marcy called from the other room.

Jane left Thor to himself while she packed a bag for herself and shoved some of her ex's clothes into a bag for Thor as well.

They left as soon as they were packed, they were about three hours away from Vegas.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Loki I am meeting my niece and two of her friends for dinner tonight, would you like to join us?" Mr. Everett asked Loki.

"I must decline, but thank you for your generous offer." Loki was tired from his flight from New York to Las Vegas, planes would never be something he would ever get used to, even though he had been on two in the last twenty-four hours.

"Alright, maybe tomorrow night before you're show." he said.

"Quite possibly, sir." he replied.

His hotel room was substantial, an enormous bed, Mr. Everett had said it was a California King, was in the center of the main room, there was a kitchen, a bathroom, and a balcony, as well as a plush sitting area complete with couch and love seat. He decided to curl up in the bed and watch the sun make it's way beyond the horizon through the open curtain, he absentmindedly touched where the bite mark had been. The mark was almost gone, but there was still a dull ache and a feeling of passion that was not as strong as before.

He fell asleep and dreamed again, of the man he was positive he was in love with, who he was would remain a mystery.

To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

Once the trio arrived in Vegas Thor and the girls met up with Uncle Everett in the Bellagio's dining room. The girls had never seen anything so grand. They felt under-dressed in their jeans and t-shirts. They ordered and then Darcy decided it was time they asked about Loki.

"Where did you find Loki?" she asked all of a sudden, no small talk, just straight to the point.

"In Cassidy, George called me after Loki tried to get a job in his shop. He showed him some tricks and he called his managers, who called me. I was skeptical, but hell, I don't know how he does it, he won't tell, says even he doesn't know." he answered.

"He isn't using magic of this realm, sir." Thor spoke up.

"What do you mean by that?" Mr. Everett looked at Thor like he was crazy.

"He was my brother, he was banished from our home, and his memory was erased. Whatever magic he is using, he probably does not know how he is doing it, but in Asgard he is well renown for his skills in magic." Thor had three sets of skeptical eyes on him now.

"Son, I don't know what you're playing at, but you might just want to get your head checked." Mr. Everett drawled.

"You do not have to believe me, but I will prove it to you. I need to see Loki." Thor looked at Mr. Everett imploringly.

"I can get you in after the show tomorrow night, you can meet him. No funny business. He is going to be famous, there will be a lot of people wanting autographs, I'll get you a t-shirt for him to sign. If he doesn't know you, then you'll have to leave him alone." Mr. Everett's offer was generous.

"Thank you, sir, I give you my word." Thor said, he was anxious to see Loki, he could hardly contain his excitement.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Loki declined dinner the next night, he was all nerves. This was not like being on the set of the few talk shows he had been on, where there were only a few dozen people in the audience, but on a gigantic stage with thousands of eyes on him. He didn't sleep well the night before, his dreams had kept waking him, his emotions were raw. He was in his dressing room getting ready when he heard a knock on the door. When he opened it Mr. Everett was in the hall, he stepped into the room.

"You're nervous, aren't you? Don't be. You're going to do great, just remember the transitions between tricks, you'll be fine." he clapped him on the back.

"I am not so sure, I don't feel very well." Loki was paler than pale at this moment.

Mr. Everett went over to a cabinet and opened it, took two glasses and a bottle of brown liquid out and placed it on the table. He poured Loki a drink and put it in Loki's trembling hand before pouring one for himself. He must have seen Loki's sideways look at the liquor in his glass.

"To fame! This will definitely help your nerves, son. Just down it and get it over with, don't sip it." the large man knocked his glass into Loki's and led by example.

Loki knocked the glass back and swallowed, it tasted like liquid fire. A few minutes later after he was alone again he was feeling a bit better, he poured himself another glass of liquor and downed it before pouring himself another and consuming it as well. He was starting to feel great. He could do anything.

The time came to go on stage and show the masses some real magic. He was on point when he was called on stage, he waved to the audience and introduced himself before commencing his act. The applause was deafening after each act, he didn't forget one transition or trick, his confidence was soaring...until he saw a familiar face in the front row. He froze only momentarily before continuing, no one noticed.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Thor watched intently from his seat in between Jane and Darcy. He applauded the loudest in the whole auditorium. He was proud of Loki, but all he wished to do was take him home. He hoped that somehow he could convince Loki of who he was, that he loved him, and take him home.

At one point, he locked eyes with Loki, there was a look of pure shock on his face for a split second, he regained his composure and continued, every once in a while glancing down at Thor.

The show drew to an end and Loki disappeared after a standing ovation from the audience. Thor wanted to go find him now, he didn't want to wait any longer.

There was a line of people back stage with various items for Loki to sign. The line passed quickly but seemed like they had been standing in it for a century before Thor caught a glimpse of Loki signing a poster for a teenager a few feet ahead. He thought he would pass out. The love of his life was mere feet away and probably didn't know it.

Loki didn't look up from the table when Thor laid the t-shirt in front of him.

"What is your name?" asked Loki, before\  
looking up into Thor's eyes.

There was a moment of silence, of almost recognition.

"Thor." Loki said the name.

"You know me?" Thor was blown away by the fact that Loki knew his name.

"Not exactly..." Loki responded, signing the shirt and handing it back to him.

Loki quickly turned and grabbed a poster and wrote 'Room 51 24th floor- midnight' on it, and handed it to him.

Thor looked at it and then at Loki who was trying to figure something out.

"I'll be there." he didn't want to leave as Darcy drew him away.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The girls decided to go down to the bar for a few drinks before turning in, leaving Thor to his own devices for a few hours. He made his way to the room, he was so nervous. He knocked and heard movement behind the locked door before it swung open revealing Loki in just a pair of pants holding a shirt on a hanger. It was apparent he had just taken a shower, his hair was still damp.

They looked at each other for a long moment before Loki reached out and touched Thor's face. Loki felt emotions flooding back to him, feelings, memories, all of the holes in his life were being filled with that one touch. Loki grabbed Thor's face and kissed him hard on the mouth, their teeth clashing together, tongues finding each other, arms finding their way around each other's bodies, hands finding exposed skin. All of the pain was gone, it was replaced with a need to have Thor as close as possible, with a love that, like a wildfire, could not be quenched.

"Loki, I am never letting you go again. I know it's only been days, but I cannot live without you for one second. I was afraid you were lost forever." Thor's voice broke, he was so relieved that he was almost on the verge of tears.

Loki's arms went around Thor, he laid his head against Thor's muscled chest, he held back a sob.

"I was so scared, I didn't know who I was or where I came from. The dreams helped me to remember bits and pieces." Loki was trembling, he was obviously still in shock.

"Those damned dreams!" Thor half laughed.

Thor lifted Loki's chin and looked him in the eyes for a moment before tenderly kissing his neglected lips. Loki moaned and closed his eyes, he had longed for Thor's touch, even when he had not known him.

Loki reluctantly broke free of their embrace and went to the mini bar to take out two glasses and a bottle of liquor Mr. Everett had sent up to his room the night before. Thor watched his graceful hand pour the liquid into the glasses and then took the one offered to him. He took it and watched Loki down two more glasses and fill his glass again.

"I dreamed of you the first night-of us. I woke up feeling that you were real, that WE were real. The second night I dreamed of us, you said my name, and I said yours, I kept your face in my mind, your name stuck in my head. Your face, your presence in my dreams, kept me sane. I was about to fall apart, I didn't know anyone or anything. Do you know how alone I was?" Loki tossed back his fourth drink, tears welling in his eyes as Thor drew him close again.

"I did it for your own good." Odin's voice was suddenly in the room.

They turned around to find the Allfather standing in the middle of the room.

"The spell I put on Loki was to test him. If he had put a spell on you, Thor, his memory would have remained lost, he would have remained on Midgard, and become a mortal. But he didn't, I misjudged you, son. You are still my son, even though my blood does not run through your veins. I still love you, I will always love you. I would have still loved you had you put a spell on Thor, but my heart would have broken if you had to stay here as a mortal. I see now that I was wrong, I may have gone about this the wrong way." Odin looked apologetic.

"I fell in love with Loki of my own volition, I am the one who initiated our relationship. Loki just happened to share my feelings and we fell in love. We told you the truth!" Thor was still angry at Odin, (he had left Mjonir in his chambers on Asgard)he wanted to smash something.

"I loved him before he told me how he felt." Loki almost yelled all of a sudden, he looked down at his now empty glass in his hand.

Thor looked at Loki, he had never thought that Loki might have loved him before he had made his feelings known.

"I love Thor, I want to be with him forever," Loki looked at Thor, "if you'll have me."

Thor wrapped his arms around Loki and held him for a long moment.

"Of course I will. I love you." Thor was on the verge of tears himself now.

"I will leave you two alone. I hope to see you back home soon. I am so sorry." and Odin was gone.

They stared at the spot where their father had just stood. Had he just given his sons consent to be together?

Thor wanted to show Loki how much he had been missed and Loki wanted to show Thor how much he appreciated his not giving up on him. Thor would never let Loki go.

Thor made new bite marks and scratches where the old ones had faded. They made their way to to the king-sized bed and he kissed every inch of his love until he was begging for more.

"Please Thor, I want you now!" Loki whispered against Thor's neck.

"You will get what you want, Loki, you must be patient." Thor kissed him back.

"I need you!" Loki almost whined.

Thor licked his finger, found Loki's opening and slipped it in and out slowly. He increased the number of fingers and his speed until Loki was rocking onto his fingers and gasping. Thor's cock was hard just hearing the little moans and whimpers that were coming out of him, he used his saliva to lubricate his cock and slid into Loki extricating a louder moan from him. He leaned over Loki and kissed his chest, then his mouth, Loki's fingers found his hair and pulled gently, sending shivers down Thor's spine.

"I love you so much." Thor gasped as he edged on an orgasm, slowed and then started to thrust into him again.

"I love you too," Loki's nails dug into Thor's sides, he was about to come, "forever, Thor."

Thor thrusted hard as Loki came, gasping at the pleasure he drew from him, and Thor came as well, filling Loki with his warmth and passion.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It was four in the morning when Jane and Darcy got back to the empty hotel room.

"Thor, we brought you some Chinese food." Darcy called to the emptiness.

"Where did he go?" asked Jane.

"Everything is still here." Darcy looked around.

Jane looked at the t-shirt and poster left on Thor's bed.

'Room 51 24th floor- midnight' was scrawled in a delicate script across it.

"Let's go, Darcy." she said, writing down the room number on her hand with a hotel pen.

They made their way up the elevator to the 24h floor and found room 51 and knocked on the door.

"Hello, may I help you?" Loki answered the door wearing only Thor's rather large button-up shirt and black socks.

"Is Thor here by chance?" Jane recognized the shirt.

"Yes, you'll have to wait a moment-" Loki was cut off by Darcy pushing past him and into the grand suite.

"This is way better than our room, Jane." Darcy looked around.

Thor came out of the bathroom in just a towel, his hair wet, a look of shock on his face. The girls looked at him and then at the unmade bed and the clothes flung about the room.

"I think we should go," Jane backed out of the room, "Darcy, come on."

Darcy stood there for a moment letting the pieces fall together in her mind.

"Oh my God. You're screwing your own brother?" Darcy finally got it.

"It's not what you think." Thor took Loki's hand.

"What is it then? He isn't really your brother?" Jane was back at Darcy's side.

"Well...not exactly..." was Loki's answer.

"We found out recently that we are not related, but we were raised as brothers. We fell in love and had been keeping it a secret until we found that we aren't related by blood. We always will be brothers, but now we can truly be together, we need not hide it any longer." Thor's arms wound around Loki.

"Our father, the Allfather, cast me out because he thought I had cast a spell on Thor to make him fall in love with me. I never cast such a spell, I had fallen in love with him long before he told me of his feelings. I was sent here with no memory of anything of my past, I had always had dreams about Thor," he nudged Thor, "and I kept having them, I sort of recognized him at the show, all because of the dreams. I knew who he was, I just didn't know how I knew him or why I was having the dreams about him. But when he came to the door and I touched him, I knew him completely. I have my memories back." Loki said, he looked deep into Thor's eyes.

"This is so weird. I think I had a few too many cosmos..." Darcy had only had 2.

"We will go home in the morning, but I promise to come back." Thor ignored Darcy.

"Maybe I don't want to give up my show?" Loki said.

"I never said you had to, but we must go home, father expects us." Thor didn't want to ever leave Loki again.

"Maybe..." Loki mused and then was gone in a flash of light.

"He needs to stop doing that..." Thor was getting annoyed with his sudden disappearances.

"Where did he go?" Darcy gasped.

"Uh...I know he's a magician and all but how did he do that?" Jane asked.

"I cannot explain it in words that you would understand, I'd rather show you." Thor said.

Thor grabbed up his clothes from the floor, minus the shirt that had disappeared along with Loki, and went to the bathroom to change. He returned a few moments later, shirtless but dressed none-the-less, his damp hair pulled back in one of Jane's hair ties. The girls still couldn't resist a bit of staring.

"Let's go. Are you packed? We need to go back to Cassidy." Thor said.

"We can be packed in five minutes." Darcy said as she and Jane disappeared out the door.

Thor packed Loki's things into a suitcase that was in the closet and met the girls at their room, they were almost packed. Jane threw a shirt at Thor and he put it on, then they were out the door. Jane sped as fast as she could back to Cassidy, thankful that there were no cops along the way.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"We need to go about 5 miles past Cassidy, that is where the Bifrost site is." Thor said as light was starting to show above the horizon.

"Ok. We're almost to Cassidy now, what do I need to look for?" Jane said looking out over the flatness of the desert.

"A couple of craters."

A few minutes later she skidded the van to a stop and there were two large craters about five hundred feet from the road. They got out and started to walk toward them, as they got closer they could see illegible, but beautiful, writing in an ancient tongue.

"I promise I will be back. Thank you for everything you have done for me. I will come back soon." Thor said as he hugged them both, he was sad to leave them.

"Heimdall! Open the Bifrost!" He bellowed to the clouds.

The clouds started to swirl above them and all of a sudden he was being flung through time and space at an incredible speed. Stars and planets whizzed past them in a blur of beauty and he was suddenly in a globe of a golden room with a tall guard in the center dragging his sword from the middle of a platform.

"I am glad you are back, Thor," he bowed, "There is a feast tonight in honor of you and your brother's safe return."

"Thank you, Heimdall, you are most gracious." Thor said nodding his head at Heimdall and running down the rainbow bridge toward the palace.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Thor made his way to the throne room, he wanted to see his father and mother. Loki appeared next to him as he walked down the vast hall. All of a sudden he was being pushed against the wall and kissed, Thor kissed Loki back.

"What was that for?" Thor panted out when Loki finally let go.

"That was for finding me and bringing me back." Loki breathed and kissed him again.

Loki kissed Thor on the mouth hard, then kissed along his jaw, down his neck and bit him right below the collar.

"And that was for me being a genius." he said as he walked away leaving Thor to catch his breath alone.

He wondered what Loki was up to. He made his way to the throne room and hugged his mother when she ran into his arms at once.

"I am so glad you and Loki came home safe, I was so worried!" she kissed his cheek.

He glared at Odin, he was still angry, livid might be a better word to describe what he was feeling at that moment.

"I have thought about your apology, father, and I cannot accept it. I tell you that I am in love with Loki and you would be content with banishing him to earth? How dare you think that I could be so easily manipulated, especially by Loki. I would think that you would have more faith in someone you had raised as your own son. He has never given you any reason to doubt a word he has ever said. What has he done to deserve banishment? He has loved me deeper than anyone ever has, he has accepted me for who I am, as I am, has asked for nothing in return but my love, and I give him all my love freely. He gives me reason to wake up every morning, and something to live for, to live up to. I am hurt deeply by your doubt and your reckless decisions based on absolutely nothing." Thor glared at Odin, trembling out of rage, his words like daggers.

"I cannot change what I have done, but I can hope that someday we can move past this and forget about my mistake in judgment. I love you both, please forgive me." Odin pled, his eyes were moist from the tears he was holding back.

"Maybe in time, but I am too angry to talk about this anymore today." Thor spat.

"I am truly sorry, Loki." Odin said as Thor put his arm around Loki and led him from the room.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The door wasn't even closed yet when Loki claimed Thor's lips in a brief but passionate kiss.

"I have done it!" He laughed.

"You have done what, love?" Thor was still in wonder.

"I have joined Asgard to Midgard! I have created a portal between my chambers and my apartment on Midgard! Only temporary of course, until I can find a suitable apartment in Las Vegas." Loki was so excited.

"How did you do that?"

"Easy! I put a spell on that wall," he said pointing, "and a spell on the wall of my bed chamber on Midgard. It's like stepping through a doorway into Midgard. Want to see?"

"Sure. I never saw your apartment." Thor wasn't sure he wanted Loki going back and forth between worlds.

Loki dragged him over to the wall, waved his hand in front of a marking he must have made, and they stepped through the wall and into a bed chamber Thor did not recognize.

"It works, see?" Loki was so excited he kissed Thor and threw him on the plush bed.

Loki was on top of Thor in a heartbeat, untying his pants and pulling them down to reveal his erection. Loki turned him over and pushed his tunic up and over his head so he was naked. He reached into the bedside table and pulled out a bottle of something, Thor was trying to figure it out when Loki poured some of the liquid onto his fingers and smeared it all over his own cock. He took Thor from behind and started thrusting gently.

"Isn't that much better than the oil? I saw it in a commercial I saw on television in the hotel. It's called Astroglide. It comes in cherry flavor, too." Loki was turning Midgardian...

"It's much better." Thor mused.

Loki sped up his thrusting, reaching around Thor to grab his cock and stroke it in his hand. He could feel Thor's body tensing as he moaned and he slowed his thrusting and stroking. He slowly built momentum again and bit into Thor's neck. Thor was over the edge in a heartbeat and came, spilling over Loki's hand. Loki pulled out of Thor and stroked his own cock until he came as well, while Thor watched.

"I love you." Thor looked at Loki as he snuggled up to him and closed his eyes.

"I love you, too." Loki kissed his hand and then got up and left the room.

Thor heard water running in the room adjoined to the bed chamber, he got up to see what Loki was up to. He opened the door and found a bath filled with bubbles, surrounded by candles.

"I wanted to do something for you." Loki said and led him to the tub.

They stepped into the enormous tub and Thor sat down, Loki sat down with his back to Thor and leaned back into him.

"This is perfect." said Thor, relaxed.

"It was lonely when it was just me...and I knew someone was missing." Loki said leaning his head back to kiss Thor along his jawline.

"It will never be just you ever again, I promise." Thor said adamantly.

"As long as you promise." Loki said softly.

"I promise." said Thor, kissing Loki's temple.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

When they stepped back through the portal and into Loki's chambers they had only enough time to dress for the feast and run down to the great hall.

Thor felt a hand on his knee and looked at Loki sitting next to him. He was deep in conversation with Hogun, but still gently caressed Thor's knee.

Thor excused himself from the table and left the hall. He turned every so often to make sure he was not being followed and he slipped into Loki's chambers. He walked to the wall that the portal was in, he hoped Loki had left it open accidentally. He must have, for he walked right through with ease. He made his way downstairs and out the door. He knew he had seen a jewelery store on Main street right near the diner when they had gone for pancakes. He found it and saw the jeweler flipping the open sign to closed. He ran and the jeweler saw him and tried to wave him away, he had forgotten to change out of his armor again. But he searched his pockets and found some Asgardian coins made of pure gold and held them up for the man to see.

"Well now, you're speaking my language!" said the old jeweler, "What can I do ya for?"

"I need a ring, a gold ring, for a man. Not a wedding ring, something with an emerald in it maybe?" Thor thought on his feet, he had no idea what he was going to get before this point.

"OK I have two rings that may fit that description, this one is gold, with inlaid silver celtic knots, and a princess cut emerald, one of a kind. And the other is just a plain gold band ring with a round emerald in it, nothing special." the jeweler pointed to each of the rings respectively.

"I'll take the one of a kind." Thor said matter-of-factly.

"Ok, what are we paying with? I'll take three of those gold coins, those look rare, never seen anything like them before." he said.

"Thank you, sir!" Thor said putting more than three coins on the counter before picking up the ring box and running out of the store and back to the apartment. He made it through the portal and back to his seat in the great hall as everyone was finishing dessert.

"Where did you go? You're sweating!" wondered Loki.

"I went for a walk." he lied.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Loki twined his fingers in Thor's as they left the great hall, Thor led him past their chambers and down toward the gardens. The garden Loki had once made for Thor with his magic years ago was still blooming even in the moonlight. Thor kissed Loki softly.

"I love you Loki, I want you forever. I want everyone to know that you are loved by me. I may not always show it, I may sometimes be distracted, especially after I become king. But I want you to always know that I love you. No matter what happens." Thor started.

"I love you, too Thor..." Loki was cut off by lips on his.

"I want you to be my forever." Thor said softly into Loki's ear.

He got down on one knee in the moonlight and pulled out the ring.

"I need you, Loki. Will you be my forever?" He saw tears in Loki's eyes.

Loki was speechless, he looked between Thor and the ring, but he knew the answer he was looking for.

"Yes." he finally was able to say.

Thor placed the ring on Loki's finger, and Loki knelt down to be level with Thor. He looked at the ring encircling his finger, it gleamed a deep green in the moonlight, then he looked at Thor and kissed him. Thor laid him down in the grass and kissed him so that he felt it. Loki hooked his arm around Thor's neck and drew him in. He would never let him go, and Thor would never let Loki go again either.


End file.
